Discovery of the domain
The history of our vineyard begins in 1730 with the Serillet family. The property is then passed from generation to generation to enter the Pasquet family in 1924 thanks to the marriage of Miss Léonie Pasquet with Mr. Albert Brisson. Having been unable to pass on the vineyard to their son André, it was my father, Jean-Luc, who inherited the property in 1970.
The adventure of the bottle sale started in 1977, with the creation of the brand Cognac Jean-Luc Pasquet. His own production and the stocks inherited from Uncle will allow him to create a range offering cognacs ranging from four years to the very old and very rare “Uncle Albert” of 80 years of age. The exceptionality of its terroir, where all the nobility of the Grande Champagne is expressed, will allow it to acquire a good reputation on the different export markets where it markets its Cognacs and in Germany thanks to the work of Mr. Packzensky.
For 22 years, Jean-Luc and Marie-Françoise will grow their vines in a conventional way until one of their plots shows signs of poor health. That same year, in 1994, they discovered the practices of the organic agriculture and were thus seduced by this new cultural mode. One year of testing will be enough to convince them that they are on the right track, so they convert the entire vineyard in 1995 and get the Organic Agriculture label in 1998.
Five years later, they are very proud to present their first Organic Cognac: the Organic VS “Terroir”, now supplemented by Organic VSOP. This new way of working will bring Jean-Luc and Marie-Françoise to develop new appetizers and this is how the Raisignac and the Marie-Raspberry, an aperitif drink, are born in the early 2000s.
From the vineyard to the cellar
“From a grape vine in Grande Champagne, a unique terroir favored by a mild climate, is produced a dry and aromatic white wine. Through a double distillation carried out in the greatest Charentaise tradition, wine delivers to men the heart of its spirit. ”
“Thus is Cognac born in his country.”
At the Vineyard
Since 1995, we grow our vines according to the rules of the Organic Agriculture, without synthetic chemical. Our philosophy is above all to strengthen the natural defenses of the vine by the use of copper and sulfur-based products as well as various plant purines (nettle, horsetail, etc …) Mechanical tillage allows to limit the development of the grass.
Our cognacs are mainly from the Ugni Blanc grape variety. In recent years we have re-planted the Folle Blanche which was the king grape in the region before the phylloxérique crisis, at the end of the 19th century. This capricious grape variety gives eaux de vie of incomparable finesse and richness. Our Aperitifs: Pineau des Charentes, Marie-Raspberry and Belle Inconnue are made from a blend of Ugni Blanc and Montils (local grape variety).
Vinification
After harvest, the bunches are directly pressed and the juice is put in the vat for fermentation. These are our yeasts, called “endogenous”, ie that are naturally found on grapes, which ensure the fermentation of our wines. The use of natural yeasts and the absence of sulphite provide an additional guarantee of a true local product.
From the cellar to the bottle
“By a marriage of love with the oak barrel the brandy is transformed with time, silence and the secret to become this Liqueur des Dieux which has no other goal than to give to you for your have fun.”
Distillation
Once the fermentation of the wines is complete, comes the moment of distillation. We distill ourselves our wines in a traditional Charentais alembic by the method of double heating, specific to the region of Cognac. Thanks to this practice of double distillations, we obtain fine and fragrant eaux de vie. It is in the heart of the second heater known as “Bonne Chauffe” that the Eau de Vie is born which, with time, will become the wonderful patent that is the Cognac.
Aging
At the end of the distillation, then comes the aging period in barrels. White Eau de Vie is put in oak barrels coming exclusively from the forests of Limousin to rest from three to several decades depending on the style of Cognac sought. It is the subtle marriage of Eau de vie with wood and time that gives our Cognacs all their finesse and elegance.
The assembly and the bottling
The quality of a Cognac results from all the care provided at each stage of its creation. We select and assemble eaux de vie from different vintages to find the balance and aromatic richness that make our Cognacs unique. Bottling is done exclusively at the property by us.
