Frapin Cognac VIP XO

Family-owned Frapin is a rarity among cognac producers ? one of few such firms to own its own vineyards. Frapin?s 741-acre domain, which includes 494 acres of prime Grande Champagne vineyard, took the Frapin family five centuries to amass. It constitutes the largest single vineyard in this top-rated appellation where average holdings seldom exceed 30 acres. The Frapin family?s ties to the Cognac district of the Charentes region of southwest France span over 20 generations, extending all the way back to the early 1200s. Today Frapin is owned by Genevieve Frapin and her husband, Max Cointreau. Management is in the expert hands of their daughter, Beatrice Cointreau. Production Area: Grapes are harvested in early October at Frapin?s top-rated Grande Champagne vineyard, a week before most producers, to obtain higher levels of acidity. Young vines are fertilized the old-fashioned way with nothing more than cow manure and mulch from pulverized vine clippings. Grape Varieties: 100% Ugni Blanc Vinification: The only cognac poured on British Airways Concorde flights between London and New York, Frapin?s VIP XO is a blend of older cognacs from Frapin family reserves with an average barrel age of 25-30 years from date of harvest ? as opposed to a minimum 6 ½ years required by law. At Frapin no more than two hours are allowed to elapse between harvest and pressing. Frapin cognacs undergo an entirely natural fermentation: no cultivated yeasts are added. To retain freshness of fruit, filtration is not permitted at Frapin. Distillation is conducted in one of Frapin?s four special Charentes copper stills. Frapin cognacs are subject to a double-distillation process. Aging is conducted in Limousin oak casks. Description: Bouquet - A rich bouquet of exceptional finesse. Woody aromas, accents of spice, shades of praline. Taste - Supple, mellow and complex Alcohol: 40%