Cape Brandy of South Africa

Cognac Martell Cellarmaster & Masterblender Christophe Valtaud conducts a tasting for CH’NG Poh Tiong

CAPE BRANDY OF SOUTH AFRICA

Cognac Journey

I first went out to Cognac about 30 years ago.

I was then wine consultant to Jardines Singapore (Hugh Johnson being consultant to Jardines International), and visited Otard which was the cognac they distributed.

Another time, I visited Courvoisier in Jarnac and stayed at their chateau. There was another trip where it was Hennessy and I stayed at Chateau de Bagnolet. Visiting Martell, I slept at Chanteloup.

More recently, last month actually, I went to see Bache-Gabrielsen, Frapin, and Martell. And last January 2022, to Les Antiquaires du Cognac, Hennessy, and Remy Martin.

Dutch Contribution

Cognac is of course a brandy.

The word comes from the Dutch brandewijn.

Great seafaring traders, the Dutch distilled brandy from wine to keep it from spoiling. You could transport more spirit than wine in a ship which made it a valuable trading commodity. The brandy were, of course, stored in barrels on the ship. It was soon discovered that the barrels altered, improved its taste.

Incidentally, Dutch engineers are also terribly good at reclaiming land from the sea. They helped Singapore create a lot of extra land during our country’s formative years.

It was also the Dutch who expertly drained the marshes of the Médoc and turned the Left Bank of Bordeaux into producers of some of the greatest wines of the world.

At the end of the 16^th Century, France had approached the “United Provinces” (Netherlands) for help to drain swamp areas in France, including around Bordeaux. An engineer by the name of Conrad Gaussen headed the first project. By the end of the 17^th Century, most of what we know today as the Médoc was drained for viticulture and farming.

South African Brandy

In that same 17^th Century, brandy was first produced in South Africa. Not on dry land but out at sea.

Legend has it that in 1672, a cook onboard a Dutch galley in Table Bay distilled a thousand litres of wine into 150 litres of brandewijn. I don’t know how much brandy was left on that happy ship at the stroke of midnight but I think it safe to assume the crew and passengers were a very happy lot that spirited day.

Since then, South African brandy has never looked back. Together with Spain and France, aficionados recognise that South Africa produces some of the finest brandy on our planet. Two months ago in March, I received bottles from 12 members of Cape Brandy South Africa.

Broadly speaking, South African brandy is fruitier than cognac. It is more supple, softer, smoother, more generous on the palate. The grapes used to produce South African brandy are Colombard, Chenin Blanc and in some cases, Ugni Blanc. The main variety planted in Cognac after phylloxera in the 19^th Century is Ugni Blanc. Colombard is also used but not Chenin Blanc, best associated in producing dry to rich, sweet wine in the Loire Valley.

As for age statements, in South Africa, VS has to be minimum 3 years (2 years for cognac); VSOP a minimum 5 years (4 years for cognac); and, XO a minimum 10 years (the same for cognac). South African brandy can start from 38 to 40% ABV (minimum 40% ABV for cognac). Both South African brandy and cognac have to be double distilled in copper still.