Luxury pre-phylloxera Cognac launches

Cognac blender and bottler Chapters of Ampersands has teamed up with Tiffon Cognac to launch a luxury limited edition expression that contains pre-phylloxera liquid.

Et No. 1 Cognac has been created through a partnership between Tiffon and Chapters of Ampersands

The expression, called Et No.1 Cognac, is a blend of two 1943 and 1974 Cognacs from the Grande Champagne region, and another pre-phylloxera Cognac from 1870.

Priced £6,255 (€8,175), just 300 bottles of Et No.1 Cognac have been released. The expression has been created through a collaboration between Cognac Tiffon Maitre de Chais Richard Braastad and Chapters of Ampersand master blender Folke Andersson.

Described as having a nose of “apricot, toffee, vanilla and liquorice”, the limited edition has been bottled in a bespoke glass “art vessel” designed by Swedish artist Göran Wärff.

“The market is filled with expensive spirits in luxury vessels, but we want to go a step further and create a unique product that is more complete and refined,” said Bertil Davidsson, co-founder of Chapters of Ampersand.

“And with individuality, in small and very limited numbers – a true piece of art rather than luxury in a bottle.”

Each bottle of Et No.1 Cognac has been individually numbered and signed. The launch will be followed by an Et No. 2 later this year.

In June last year, Tiffon launched a blend made entirely out of Cognac which pre-dated the arrival of phylloxera in France, called L’Esprit de Tiffon.

Phylloxera is an insect barely visible to the naked eye which wiped out entire vineyards in France when it entered the country in the late 19th Century.