The Courvoisier cognac brand is one of the most recognized and comes from the Charente department. The winery where it is produced is located in the Jarnac region and the story goes that the origin of this liquor dates back to the time of the French Revolution.
A brand with history
We go back to the 19th century, two entrepreneurs, Emmanuel Courvoisier and Louis Gallois, joined forces to run a company aimed at marketing wines and other spirits.
It was close to the Parisian town of Bercy, just north of the Seine River. The proximity to the river made transportation easier for them, and it was located just outside the thick walls of the city of Paris, so they did not have to pay taxes.
The two partners wanted to offer their customers the best distillates, and to do so they decided that the best way to achieve this was by making their own cognac.
In this way they ventured into the production of the exquisite alcoholic beverage that bore the name of one of the partners.
The great quality of the product soon grew the reputation of Emmanuel Courvoisier and his partner Louis Gallois among brandy lovers and which in turn came to conquer the person who had the power of the throne at that time, Napoleon Bonaparte.
Bonaparte visited its cellars in 1811 and at that time took a good number of barrels of Courvoisier cognac.
He wanted his artillery companies to have a ration of cognac to boost their morale during the Napoleonic Wars.
Legend has it that after his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon was exiled to the remote island of Saint Helena, choosing several barrels of Courvoisier cognac as his only luxury item, a gift greatly appreciated by the English officers aboard HMS Northumberland during his 67-day voyage, since then the drink was recognized by everyone as “Napoleon's cognac.”
Years later, Felix Courvoisier and Jules Gallois, respective sons of the founders, moved their headquarters from Paris to the quiet town of Jarnac, in the heart of the Cognac region, to have greater control over the quality of the cognac on which they had built his reputation.
In 1869, Napoleon Bonaparte's heir, Napoleon III, personally petitioned Courvoisier and granted him the honorable title of "Official Supplier to the Imperial Court" which is still displayed in the Courvoisier museum in Jarnac.
Another event that gave great prestige to the brand was in 1889, in which Courvoisier cognac was toasted at the grand opening of the Eiffel Tower during the Paris World's Fair, held on the centenary of the beginning of the French Revolution.
Over the years, the brand established itself in the market, reformulated its image and even changed owners on several occasions, but it never lost its essence.
The preparation process
The amber-colored liquor is made with the best grapes from the city of Cognac, only six areas of that place are authorized to grow and select them. After this entire process, its juices are left to ferment for seven days to transform the must into wine.
Courvoisier ensures that the resulting wine is distilled twice for 24 hours. This process is only carried out between the months of November to March in order to guarantee the quality of the cognac in each sip. The final result of this process is separated into three parts, the central part known as the heart of the production is the only one used for Courvoisier Cognac due to its concentration and flavor.
The process to obtain a quality Courvoisier does not end there, once the liquid is obtained, it is transferred to hand-made oak barrels. Even the trees are selected in exclusive forests to guarantee the quality of the wood. Once there, the aging time of the liquor begins, which, to be really good, must remain in the barrels for a minimum of two and a half years.
Types of Courvoisier cognacs
We have already taken you through a good part of history and we know that you are eager to try a good cognac. You should know that in our online store there is a wide variety of cognacs that we will send to your home so you can enjoy them.
Courvoisier has cognacs for all tastes, Courvoisier VS, aged between four and seven years, Courvoisier VSOP, with a good balance between floral notes and those provided by the wood, Courvoisier XO, aged between 20 and 30 years and the most emblematic Courvoisier Napoleon.
Go ahead and next time order a glass of Courvoisier Cognac!