Cognac with liquid dating back to 1790 launches

Bache-Gabrielsen has released 150 decanters of limited edition Le Sein de Dieu Cognac made using exclusively pre-phylloxera liquid.

The distillates were sourced from the private cellar of Bache-Gabrielsen founder Thomas Bache-Gabrielsen, the oldest of which dates back to 1790.

All liquid pre-dates the phylloxera invasion, which destroyed many European vineyards in the mid-nineteenth century. As such, the types of grapes used in production were changed.

“I chose each of the demijohns, dating from the beginning of the 19th century, according to the character of each eau-de-vie and added a twist to this blend by adding 1790 vintage,” said Jean-Philippe Bergier, cellar master of Cognac house Bache-Gabrielsen.

“I tried to find a balance between those that have an outstanding bouquet with subtly spiced tannins and those that bring along their floral complexity and unparalleled length.”

Each decanter is numbered, comes with a special wooden box and a book written by food and drinks journalist Martine Nouet creating especially for the occasion.

The book provides information on the project, the impact of phylloxera, the history of the Bache-Gabrielsen Cognac house and tasting notes.

Le Sein de Dieu Limited edition Cognac was bottled for Wealth Solutions – a Polish company that offers special edition works of art, spirits and other collectibles.

“The mission of our company is to find unique beverages with amazing stories,” said Michał Kowalski, vice president of Wealth Solutions. “Le Sein de Dieu is one of them and this is the most exciting project that we have ever been involved in. This is an outstanding cognac with 200 years of history.”

At the start of this year, Cognac blender and bottler Chapters of Ampersands teamed up with Tiffon Cognac to launch a luxury limited edition expression containing pre-phylloxera liquid.