Audry Memorial Fine Champagne Cognac

About

Audry Memorial Fine Champagne Cognac is made of 60% Grande Champagne, 40% Petite Champagne. It is a blend of 30-60 year old Cognacs. This benchmark Cognac has tremendous structure, power and complexity. This is in no way a ‘light” Cognac. Rather, this is an “old-fashioned” sort of Cognac: rich and deep, it is composed of very old stocks, some dating back more than 60 years, which have naturally diminished in alcoholic power. The extraordinary balance of the long, persistent finish is largely due to the slow oxidation of tannins that occurs over long periods of time, a hallmark of the greatest Cognacs. A rich and complex aromatic palette: green pepper and fresh apple; spices, tobacco, roasted coffee beans, cocoa and rancio combine to give to give a sumptuous bouquet. Full-bodied and mellow. Persistent smooth honeyed aftertaste. Perfect balance between strength and refinement. Blending is done three years before bottling, in a 50 hectoliter wooden vat. When the blend is ready, about a quarter volume of a previous “Mémorial” blend is added (the French call this the ‘pied de coupe’). The aging process finishes off in small 350 liter barrels that have been carefully selected from among ones that have previously contained the oldest Cognac. This final three year period makes it possible for all of Mémorial’s qualities to mesh and become focused, well balanced and reach a classical pitch. This final step is unusual these days, and costly, but it is what distinguishes this superlative Cognac. Le Mémorial is served, along with other Audry rarities, by many of Europe’s most highly esteemed chefs; masters such as Joël Robuchon, Alain Ducasse & Troisgros.

The house of A. Edmond Audry was founded in 1878 by the great-great-grandfather of the current owner. In the early 1950s, the Audry Company stopped selling cognac. However some very old stocks were held back in reserve in the hopes that Audry would one day rise again to the fore. That day came in 1978 when Bernard Boisson, a lawyer by training, decided to resurrect the family tradition that had remained dormant for four decades. The family stopped distilling in 1974, so Audry is made from blends of the original reserve and a few lots bought from a small group of Charentais growers.