Reserve 1er Cru

About this wine

This is a Grande Champagne cognac made mainly from Ugni Blanc with some use of Colombard grapes, both grown on the Angeac terroir in the Premier Cru of Cognac. The distillations are carried out slowly on the lees in small copper pot stills to concentrate floral and fruit aromatics. The spirit is initially matured in French oak casks and the Reserve is further finished in Banyuls barrels which brings a rancio like note of dried fruit and nutty spice. On the nose expect rose petal, violet, honeyed apricot and warm vanilla, with a hint of leather and walnut shell as it opens. The palate is full bodied and balanced, showing candied stone fruit, baking spice and a touch of licorice, finishing with sustained oak spice and a soft dried fruit aftertaste.

About the grape

Ugni Blanc, originally known as Trebbiano from Tuscany, became the dominant grape of Cognac because its naturally high acidity and neutral aromatic profile make it ideal for distillation. The variety is vigorous and productive with thick skins that resist rot, traits that allowed it to be widely planted across the Charente and particularly in Grande Champagne where chalky, limestone rich soils give slow ripening and elegant eaux de vie. In bottlings like Pierre Ferrand Reserve 1er Cru the houses rely on Ugni Blanc grown in Premier Cru parcels, then distill and age the resulting eaux de vie in selected French oak barrels to develop complexity while preserving the grape s clean, acidic backbone. Over the centuries Ugni Blanc s reliability and compatibility with Cognac production methods made it the reference variety for high quality cognac blending and cellar ageing.

Quick facts

• 🏅 Made only from Grande Champagne vineyards, the highest Premier Cru of Cognac, giving it especially perfume driven character
• 🛢️ Pierre Ferrand ages the Reserve first in classic Limousin oak then often finishes spirit in Banyuls wine casks to add a rancio like complexity
• 🌾 The house intentionally distills on the lees, a throwback technique that traps extra floral and fruit aromas from Ugni Blanc
• 📜 The Reserve reflects a revival of 19th century recipes by the Ferrand family, inspired by their ancestor Elie Ferrand and antique bottlings
• 🏚️ Cellaring takes place at Logis d’Angeac across multiple humid and dry cellars, some with earthen floors, to create layered maturation effects

Palate profile

Producer

Pierre Ferrand traces its roots to a family estate in the Grande Champagne cru with records dating back to 1702, and it remained in the region for many generations. In 1989 Alexandre Gabriel acquired the house and revitalized production while preserving estate methods such as small copper pot distillation and long oak ageing. The company is headquartered at the 18th century Château de Bonbonnet near Ars and coowns the Logis d'Angeac vineyard in the heart of Grande Champagne. Under Gabriel the house revived historical formulas and also expanded into craft spirits, but it remains known for estate grown, Grande Champagne cognacs and artisanal blending practices.