Maison Prunier

The story

Prunier Revives Vintage Cognac

In 1995, Prunier was among the first Cognac houses to revive vintage Cognac, a category that had been commonplace in the nineteenth century. The house kept each vintage separate in French oak and bottled the spirit at cask strength without blending, filtering or modification. A vintage bottling keeps one year's spirit separate from a house blend, so the cellar process and traceability remain tied to that release. Prunier maintains each vintage through paperwork from distillation and regular checks by a bailiff.

From the atlas

Maison Prunier

Maison Prunier in Cognac ages and blends selected eaux-de-vie, with a vintage program and old Grande Champagne bottlings.

At A Glance

The Producer

Family traces reach back to 1701, when the Prunier family apparently traded with winegrowers. Maison Prunier dates its Cognac activity to 1769 and has remained in the Prunier and Burnez family since then.

The house ages and blends selected eaux-de-vie, with stocking and bottling included among its activities. Prunier owns some vineyards and handles distillation, ageing and blending itself. Stéphane Burnez, the current cellar master, develops a lighter modern style with less wood, giving more room to the natural taste of the eaux-de-vie.

Place

Maison Prunier stands at 30 Rue Léonce Laval, 16100 Cognac. Its cellars are at the historical site and in Gimeux.

The Twenty Years Old comes exclusively from Grande Champagne, specifically Salles d’Angles. Grande Champagne is a named Cognac area, while Salles d’Angles identifies the village behind this bottle's origin.

Story

Stéphane Burnez, the current cellar master, develops a lighter modern style with less wood. The older house style carried more wood influence. Burnez prefers more of the natural taste of the eaux-de-vie in the finished Cognac, so the cellar choice concerns oak as well as age.

Prunier continues to handle distillation, ageing and blending itself. Stéphane Burnez's approach changes the balance between oak and spirit within that house work.

Wines

The range spans VS, VSOP, XO, Twenty Years Old, XO Très Vieille Grande Champagne and vintage Cognacs released periodically. XO is made entirely from Ugni Blanc and combines eaux-de-vie individually aged from 15 to 30 years in old oak barrels of 200 and 400 litres.

XO Très Vieille Grande Champagne is entirely from Grande Champagne and uses components aged from 40 to 60 years, with an average age of 45 years. Vintage Cognacs are aged separately in French oak and bottled at cask strength without blending, filtering or modification.

In The Glass

XO is smooth and deep, with a lingering finish marked by refined tannins and rancio. The Twenty Years Old shows tea, fresh hazelnut and fresh orange zest on the nose. Orange blossom and fine tannins shape the palate, with freshness and breadth alongside the aromatic character.

XO Très Vieille Grande Champagne brings menthol, leather, bitter chocolate, walnut, candied fruit and liquorice. As the glass warms, vanilla rancio and tobacco appear, with well-integrated wood in the background.

A Bottle To Understand It

Choose the Twenty Years Old. It is made from 100% Ugni Blanc grown on clay-limestone soil, then aged in oak casks from 1999 before spending its final four years in large oak vats. The house states that nothing is added, while the alcohol has been gradually reduced over the years.

Final Word

Maison Prunier combines family Cognac work with selected eaux-de-vie, separate vintage ageing and very old Grande Champagne bottlings.

Sources

• https://cognacprunier.com/
• https://www.maisons-cognac.fr/en/maison/maison-prunier/
• https://dreyfusashby.com/prunier-cognac-joins-our-family/
• https://cognacreverie.com/a-sit-down-with-jerry-cogen-of-maison-prunier/
• https://www.cognacprunier.fr/cognac-xo-prunier.html
• https://www.cognacprunier.fr/cognac-20ans-prunier
• https://cognacprunier.com/editions-limitees-/21-cognac-xo-tres-vieille-grande-champagne.html