Quality designation or indication of the maturation period for spirits with a particularly long maturation period. In the case of cognac, this applies to products that are at least six years old, but can be up to 100 years old. The name was introduced by the Cognac house Courvoisier when the French Emperor Napoleon (1769-1821) abdicated in 1814 and wanted to emigrate to the USA. A special cognac was provided for him for this purpose. However, the name is also used by many producers of Armagnac and Calvados for their best products.
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For my many years of work as an editor with a wine and culinary focus, I always like to inform myself about special questions at Wine lexicon. Spontaneous reading and following links often leads to exciting discoveries in the wide world of wine.
Dr. Christa Hanten
Fachjournalistin, Lektorin und Verkosterin, Wien