Camus launches rare Dordogne Cognac
Camus is on a “mission” to revive Cognac-making in the Dordogne and has used the last vineyards cultivated in the region to create a single cru expression.
The new release, called Camus Saint-Aulaye Special Finish Cognac, is made from grapes grown in the Saint-Aulaye area, one of the last villages in the Dordogne that retains its Cognac appellation. The village started to acquire planting rights in 1998 to prevent the appellation from “disappearing”. In 2014, Camus joined the effort by signing an exclusive collaboration with Saint-Aulaye Town Council. The wines produced from Saint-Aulaye grapes are distilled with their lees in small 2,500-litre pot stills. The resulting eaux-de-vie are then poured into fine grain oak casks from the forest of La Double and aged in the towers of Saint-Aulaye Castle. After the primary ageing period, the Cognac is transferred into first-fill 225-litre Monbazillac sweet wine barrels – a tradition in the region. The resulting liquid is said to have a flavour of dried fruits, sweet spices and orange peel with “accents” of roasted coffee beans. Just 3,000 individually-numbered bottles of Camus Saint-Aulaye Special Finish Cognac have been released, with an RRP of €55 (US$61).
