[From Press Release]

The prestigious annual Cognac Awards were presented before the auction, going to two Americans. Ann Tuennerman, Founder of Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, was presented with “Cognac Personality of the Year Award”, and acclaimed spirits writer David Wondrich was awarded “Cognac Writer of the Year Award.” The Cognac Awards celebrate personalities in the trade and media who have championed Cognac through their work.

The 7th Annual “La Part Des Anges” Cognac charity auction raised a record sum of €136,800 ($177,046), donated entirely to charity.

This new record perfectly illustrates the loyalty of collectors for Cognac, a spirit that embodies the values of passion, generosity and solidarity shared by its growers and merchants. All proceeds went to the Order of Malta—France.

The auction took place on Thursday, September 20th, in the magical setting of the Château Chesnel in Cherves-Richemont near the city of Cognac. 650 people from around the world gathered for the special event. Under the hammer of auctioneer Vincent Gérard-Tasset, 26 rare bottles of Cognac, along with a sculpture, were sold for a record total of €136,800 (last year’s sales totalled €100,600). A Martell lot received the highest bid of €21,000, followed by lots from Hennessy and Prince Hubert de Polignac (€14,000 and €10,500 respectively). See Appendix below for a complete list of sales.

PART DES ANGES – THURSDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2012

LIST OF SALES

COURVOISIER, Réserve Edward VII : 4 500 €

LOUIS ROYER, Cognac Grande Champagne Reserve Royale : 900 €

HARDY, Caryota / Privilège : 6 000 €

CHÂTEAU DE MONTIFAUD, Millésime 1972 : 2 200 €

FRAPIN, Frapin Baccarat Aigle Royal : 6 200 €

MEUKOW, Nec Plus Ultra : 4 500 €

LEYRAT, "Partage" - Exemplaire n°01/52 : 4 800 €

DELAMAIN, Cognac Grande Champagne 1972 40 ans d'âge - Bouteille n°1/1 : 6 200 €

PIERRE FERRAND, Memorable : 3 200 €

HINE, Monnet Extra Capiello Collector : 3 700 €

REMY MARTIN, Coupe Historique Extra Porcelaine : 5 000 €

MARTELL, Coffret Martell Cordon Bleu - Edition du Centenaire : 21 000 €

DUPUY - BACHE-GABRIELSEN, Borderies Millésime 1971 : 2 500 €

A.E. DOR, Vieille Réserve Limitée - N°9 et N°10 : 2 500 €

BRAASTAD, Stetangen : 4 800 €

PRINCE HUBERT DE POLIGNAC, 888 Trunk : 10 500 €

HENNESSY, Hennessy "Réserve Spéciale" : 14 000 €

LEOPOLD GOURMEL, Petite Champagne 1972 : 2 200 €

NORMANDIN-MERCIER, "La Péraudière" : 1 300 €

OTARD, Exception - La Part des Anges : 2 000 €

A. DE FUSSIGNY, Vintage 1970 : 1 400 €

ABK6, Famille" - Carafe N°01/27 : 4 000 €

CAMUS, Cuvée 2.105 - Family Legacy - N°1228/1228 : 4 200 €

GODET, Trésor de Guerre : 4 700 €

LA COGNATHEQUE, Collection Privée : Millésime 1840 Pinet Castillon : 8 000 €

DE LUZE, De Luze Extra Single Barrel Finish Grande Champagne : 2 000 €

ELEVATION : 4 500 €

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by Paige Donner

Cognac for the most important ♥ holiday of the year!? Yes! And not just for your fella. But for your Lady (love) as well.

Scenes from Cognac

all photos by and c.Paige Donner 2012

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Click Here for Slideshow Hennessy, Courvoisier, Remy Martin and Paul Giraud (in that order)

Women love things that are smooth, warm, that glide just the right way and yet still have that appropriate touch of femininity. You might think that I'm describing lovely lingerie. But, No! I'm talking about cognac. That's right! Cognac can be YOUR dreamy passport to love and pleasure this Valentine's Day!

On a recent trip to Cognac, I was tasked with spitting out X.O. and Paradis...From all the best makers... Some that you've no doubt heard of and some that you'll only hear about and get to taste if you venture into the quaint and cordial hinterland of France that is Cognac.

Click Here for Slideshow Hennessy, Courvoisier, Remy Martin and Paul Giraud

I'm not a spirits drinker and anything tougher than champagne usually makes me gag. So I was a hard sell in terms of being persuaded to see the merits of enjoying a sip of cognac or two. For me the idea of the cognac cocktail - a dose of cognac mixed with champagne and some Chambord or cognac with green tea and a few shakes of a couple other things - were the ways I was ready to take my medicine.

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Click Here for Slideshow Hennessy, Courvoisier, Remy Martin and Paul Giraud (in that order)

Cognac For ♥ Valentine’s Day

One of the qualities that got me to hang in there, though, is that cognac is the only spirit, or eau de vie, that is distilled from grapes. Gazing out at the wintry landscape of hibernating vines somehow reassured me that this spirit was different. I was tasting a form of wine, after all. Also, unsurprisingly, cognac was originally a happy accident. A couple of barrels of wine gone bad on their shipment to England a few centuries ago...a dose of French innovation and farmer ingenuity and Voila', cognac!

Click Here for Slideshow Hennessy, Courvoisier, Remy Martin and Paul Giraud

After tasting (and spitting!) my way through approximately 75 blends and brands of cognac, I discovered that there were a handful that I could sip and savor. And it wasn't only the XO's that pleased my palate. There were a couple of VSOP's that made the cut. Though, I admit, once you've tasted Paradis, you'll swear you've heard the angels sing!

Cognac - It's not named X.O. for nothin'!

♥Chérie Du Vin

*For customized Cognac Travel Itineraries contact: Local Food And Wine

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♥Chérie Du Vin

Vancouver Food And Wines

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Cognac Charity Auction Raises €136,800 ($177,046)

Friday, February 10, 2012