The age of Cognac VS, VSOP, Napoleon, XO, Hors d'Age, XXO

It is difficult to know the age of Cognac in the bottle. Whether you buy your Cognac from a wine shop or from the producer, several pieces of information can help you to know the age of a Cognac. We will list them for you in this article!

Knowing the age of a Cognac with its label

The BNIC (Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac) has created age counts that will allow you to know the minimum age of a Cognac.
Cognac is the result of blending different eaux-de-vie from different years. When they are blended, it is the youngest eau-de-vie that is taken into account.

Here are the different categories of Cognac generally written on the labels of Cognac as well as the minimum ages that correspond:

VS Cognac (Very Special): This is the youngest Cognac that can be marketed. It will have aged at least 2 years in oak barrels.
Superior Cognac, Superior Cuvée, Superior Quality A Cognac with a minimum of 3 years of ageing.
VSOP Cognac (Very Superior Old Pale): It is a Cognac that will have aged a minimum of 4 years in oak barrels.
Cognac Vieille Réserve, Réserve Rare and Réserve Royale : An eau-de-vie aged for at least 5 years
Cognac Napoleon It is a Cognac that has remained at least 6 years in oak barrels.
Cognac XO (Extra Old): This is a Cognac that has aged a minimum of 10 years in barrels.
Since 2018, the category XXO (Extra Extra Old) has been created. It is a Cognac that has aged at least 15 years in barrels.

Of course for the same category, there will be other names used.

A VS can be called 3 stars, Selection, De Luxe.
A VSOP can be called : Reserve, Old, Rare, Royal.
A Napoléon can be called the following names : Très Vieille Réserve, Très Vieux, Héritage, Très Rare, Excellence and Suprême.
A XO can be called : Hors d'Age, Extra, Ancestral, Ancêtre, Gold, Impérial.

Between the variations in age count and the different names used for the same category, one can quickly get lost. The easiest way to find out is to ask the producer directly what the name means on the label of their Cognac. They will be happy to answer you.

Vintage Cognac

A vintage Cognac is a Cognac with an eau de vie of only one year. The year will be written on the bottle. Vintage Cognacs are subject to very strict ageing procedures supervised by the BNIC. Indeed, they are generally aged in a dedicated cellar to which only the BNIC has the key. The barrel can also be sealed with red wax. A limited number of bottles of this rare beverage will result from the bottling process.

The Cognac Brut de fût

A Brut de fût Cognac is a Cognac that has been bottled directly from the barrel. It has not been reduced with distilled water. Its alcohol content is therefore natural. It will generally be an old Cognac because the alcohol level will have had time to reduce over the years.
The House of Guillon-Painturaud wanted to complete its range of old Cognac in October 2019, by adding a Cognac Brut de fût! It comes from the 72e3 barrel and its degree is 43.6% vol. instead of 40% vol. This Cognac is exclusively available in limited edition, so don't wait any longer to discover our Brut de fût.
The degree is such that it can be tasted without explosiveness. It will then have intense aromas and a very nice length in the mouth.

The Cognac of the Grande Champagne producer

As a general rule, the producer will always push the ageing of his Cognac, he will not be satisfied with the minimum required (see age counts described above) but will use older eaux de vie than the minimum required. The House of Guillon-Painturaud, located in Grande Champagne, has existed for 4 generations. The quality of the soil as well as the know-how of the winegrower has allowed him to create old and very old XO Cognac, for sale in the shop or online.

The Cognacs offered at Guillon-Painturaud

Grande Champagne offers very nice aromas. This will be an opportunity for you to discover our different categories of Cognac and to make the difference between several age accounts.

Photo de barriques de Cognac dans un chai sombre