Cover On of the iconic Hennessy distilleries
On of the iconic Hennessy distilleries
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Maison Hennessy has maintained excellence over 250 years by blending tradition and technology
In conjunction with the 300-year anniversary of the birth of Richard Hennessy, the founder of Hennessy, the Maison invited Tatler to discover the wonders of Cognac—both the drink and the locale—as well as the storied past of the prestigious brand.
Our first official order of business for the day is a tour of one of the Maison’s vineyards. It’s interesting to note that LVMH, through Moët and Hennessy, manages and procures their wines in two of the largest grape-growing regions in France—Champagne and Cognac. On-site, we meet Thierry Sales, the Hennessy brand ambassador, who guides us through the couple of days and pours out his wealth of knowledge and information on the brand. Through him, we learn of Hennessy’s efforts to give back to the terroir and wine growers that give them their precious harvest.
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“There are around 4,200 wine growers in the region, and about 285 cognac producers, including independent entities. So while we own some vineyards, we also depend on external parties, some of whom work exclusively for Hennessy, and others who supply to others as well,” Sales shares. He goes on to explain the green methods Hennessy undertakes, such as growing hedges to protect the vines, using natural methods to get rid of pests—such as lacing wires next to the plants with pheromones, so that pests can’t procreate properly and attack the crops—as well as helping their partner growers by providing technology to help grow and increase their yield.
Next, we visit the distillery of Domaine du Bagnolet, one of the locations where the eaux-de-vie produced to blend Hennessy is distilled. Here, Sales explains the entire distilling process using the pot stills as we get an up-close look at the stills. He also includes extra trivia, like how there are two types of brandy produced in France: cognac, and armagnac, which is produced in the south.
An overview of a vineyard in Cognac
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After lunch, we visit the Hennessy headquarters for a quick look around the office. We were also privileged to spend a few moments with Renaud Fillioux, the eighth-generation master blender for the Maison. Essentially, it’s his job (and that of his predecessors) to ensure that Hennessy cognacs maintain their quality and taste throughout the generations.
Then we visit an integral part of the maturation process for the alcohol: L’Atelier de Tonnellerie, which translates to the cooperage workshop. This is where the barrels—used to store and mature the precious eaux-de-vie—are made and mended. We even get to try our hand at shaping a barrel, from placing the chopped wood into metal rings, using a special device to pull the pieces together and ensure there are no holes, while the inner part of the wood gets torched, which would help release flavours once the eaux-de-vie is stored inside, to finally smoothening the ends and shaping the covers. At the end of the process, the individual in charge of making that specific barrel would put his signature down on his finished masterpiece.
We follow along the process, and from the cooperage, we next visit the traditional cellar where the barrels are stored. Traditional, because we’re in for a surprise the next day. Here, workers roll barrels along and stack them manually. This is where the magic happens, and the eaux-de-vie matures over the years, filling the air with the “angel’s share”—alcohol that evaporates from the barrels as it matures, and which partly factors into the cost of the final product. Once the eaux-de-vie within the barrels have matured to their desired state—which is decided upon by the master blender and his team—they are then transferred into glass containers called a dame-Jeanne, or demijohn (originally referred to as any glass vessel with a large body and small neck, enclosed in wickerwork) in order to preserve their current state of flavour.
Following that, we head to Le Chai du Fondateur—home of the oldest Hennessy reserves of eaux-de-vie and exceptional cognacs. Here, we see a single prized photo hanging on one of the pillars. A lady, resembling Queen Elizabeth II, is seen visiting the Hennessy cellar, accompanied by the master blender at the time and a Hennessy family member. Sales informs us that it is indeed an Elizabeth, but in fact, the aforementioned queen’s mother (also named Elizabeth.) Another highlight is the eaux-de-vie itself, some of which date back to 1800!
The last part of the tour sees us experiencing Mobilis, an immersive virtual reality experience that showcases the Maison’s unique savoir-faire and heritage. Visitors embark on a dreamlike voyage thanks to cutting-edge virtual reality innovations with special effects, inspired by Richard Hennessy’s sketches, including the boats he imagined would one day export his cognacs around the world.
See also: Hennessy celebrates Malaysian entrepreneurs in inaugural Hennessy X.O Circle of Excellence
Finally, we retire for the day at the exclusive Château de Bagnolet, a former family estate of the Hennessy family, where we receive a masterclass on cocktail making before sitting down to dinner with Maurice Hennessy. He enthrals us with stories of the past, telling us about the modification of the Hennessy emblem and more. And not forgetting, we get a taste of the Hennessy Paradis too.
The next day, we experience the modernity of the maison with a tour of Bas Bagnolet, the latest generation of Hennessy ageing cellars. I would describe it as the Ikea of barrels. Everything is neatly stacked, up to 10 metres high, and done using state-of-the-art technology. A special forklift, designed just for Hennessy, places the barrels in their place before a shuttle picks up a couple of barrels and transports them automatically to the back of the row. It is truly astounding, and a whole different experience from the traditional cellar we had visited the day before.
Another highlight of the tour is our visit to Atelier des Editions Rares, a small workshop that produces and handles some of the rarer Hennessy productions. Here, we get to see how the luxurious Hennessy 8 bottle (along with its liquid) is crafted, as well as other limited edition and unique creations. After that, we discovered more of the brand’s heritage at the Hennessy Heritage Cabinet.
As our time in Cognac was coming to an end, we revisited the Hennessy headquarters area. First, we had a tasting session of eaux-de-vie, which included samples of the VS, VSOP and XO. Finally, we visited the Hennessy Brand Home, which houses the largest collection of Hennessy—including specific-to-market brands like the Hennessy White, which is only available in the Caribbean, and Classivm made especially for the Chinese market. The cognac-flavoured ice cream served to us at the tourist site was a sweet ending to a truly memorable trip.
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Images: Hennessy
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