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ged in oak barrels for four to six years, Dobbé
Cognac VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) has the
colour of gold and amber, and a scent profile of
violet, rose, apricot jam, and vanilla. For XO (Extra
Old), aged between six to ten years, you may find
a brilliant mahogany colour, and notes of jasmine,
candied orange, and toasted brioche. The older
ones may even have a leather tone, with notes of
honey, almonds, grilled pistachio, and wood.
As a producer, the cognac house is involved in
the growing of the grapes, grape selection, the
distillation, the aging, and the bottling. Ugni blanc
is the varietal grown since the end of the 19th
century, when phylloxera wiped out the original
varietal. “Our job is complex,” says Michel Dobbé
(pictured left), president and chairman of Dobbé
Cognac. “While I am the cellar master, three of
my teammates will also taste the cognac with me,
before we come to a decision about the blend.”
Cognacs from older vintages and from different
barrels are used for blending, to get a consistent
quality. At the end of each year, a sample is kept, to
respect the last sample. “Our work is dependent on
nature,” explains Nicolas Stearns (pictured right),
sales manager, and son-in-law of Dobbé. “One
year could be good, another year could be bad –
depending on the rain, or frost.” Cognac is aged in
wood from the Limousin forest, an expensive wood
that imparts tannins, along with notes of vanilla.
Layton VSOP & XO are distributed in Singapore by FY Group. Tel: (65) 6753 3854
There is no ‘best way’
to drink cognac. It is for you,
the drinker, to say.
Nicolas Stearns
During the aging process, the
cellarmaster tastes regularly to
decide when to switch to old barrels.
Michel Dobbé
Apparently, men like XO as a digestif, and women
enjoy cognac with dessert. “We try to reach the
ladies,” says Dobbé. “By the time you reach dessert,
your senses have opened up.” He recommends
tasting an aromatic, smooth, and sweet cognac with
apple tart, or chocolate. With VSOP, pairings that
work well include smoked salmon, sushi, sashimi,
foie gras, cheese, or even duck prepared with
Asian flavours. “Younger cognac tends to be more
powerful, fruity, and fresh,” adds Stearns. “It would
be interesting with tonic water, or in long drinks
and cocktails.” For the past 15 years, the Cognac
community has been introducing a new way of
drinking cognac. “Young people today would drink
our competitor, vodka, in long drinks,” says Dobbé.
“Perhaps the older generation still prefers drinking
cognac neat. But it has become trendy among the
younger crowd today to have cognac in a cocktail.”
A new edition has been launched, named Layton,
with a VSOP encapsulating notes of oak, dried
fruit, and toffee, and an XO delivering flavours of
tobacco, cloves, and fruitcake. In Asia, cognac used
to be seen as grandpa’s drink. Today, it has come
full circle, presenting itself to a new generation of
drinkers. QL
In Salignac-sur-Charente, near Cognac in France,
a family has been producing cognac for eight
generations, dating back to 1787. From just one
vineyard in its first generation, to its current
ownership of vineyards in Petite Champagne, the
second noble region for cognac production, the
family has accumulated knowledge, passed down
from generation to generation.