Winegrowers’ portraits Jarnac
1763 - 2013
250 years of Hine Cognac!
In 1763, a Cognac house was founded that produced the favourite Cognac of Mr Hine senior, an eminent linen merchant from
the county of Dorset, in England. He was so fond of the Charente eau-de-vie that he sent his son Thomas to France to learn
the language and the art of making Cognac.
Thomas Hine was only 16 when he arrived in Nantes and made his way to Jarnac to work for the House that made his father's favourite cognac. In 1796, he married Françoise-Elisabeth, the daughter of the proprietor. When his father-in-law died, his mother-in-law chose Thomas to take charge of the business which was to become Thomas HINE & Cie in 1817. Since then, 6 generations of the Hine family have perpetuated the excellence and cultivated the creative, innovative spirit of Thomas Hine.
“My family has, over the generations, devoted our energy and expertise to producing the very best cognac by meticulous attention to detail and keeping only the exceptional. I am confident that, in the world of cognac, we have created a unique style that sets us apart”, says Bernard Hine, Honorary Chairman of the House of HINE and current representative of the dynasty, to whom we owe the creation of the Rare, Mariage and Talent Cognacs.
The HINE style is a fine, light Cognac, without excessive predominance of oak notes, sought out by the true connoisseur.
“Since 1763, HINE has owed its prestige to the charm of its elegant Cognacs, aged in French oak casks with delicate tannins. This carefully preserves the fruity aromas and subtle, original fragrances. A HINE Cognac, like a fine perfume, takes you on a journey of discovery, a sensuous and evocative experience. Let the palette of aromas guide you: the spicy notes (warm, hints of spices and pepper), the oriental notes (opulent, sensual, rich and exotic), the floral notes (heavy scent of flowery perfumes) and the fruit notes (characteristic hints of peaches, plums and tropical fruits)”, explains Cellar Master Eric Forget.
Thomas HINE & Co
16, Quai de l'Orangerie
16200 Jarnac - France
Tél.: +33 (0) 5 45 35 59 59
hinecognac.com Managing Director François Le Grelle adds:
“HINE is a very strong brand and in some ways, very contemporary. Consumers today are looking for authenticity and originality: these expectations are very much in phase with our philosophy. This is based on three rules we scrupulously follow: produce little, but make it perfect, pay careful attention to every detail and only retain the exceptional, devote our expertise to making sure each Cognac a unique work of art!”HINE is historically the specialist of vintage Cognacs (Grande Champagne exclusively) and no doubt the last Cognac House today to age some of our vintages in the United Kingdom. These latter are called Early Landed. It is also the only Cognac House to have been granted a royal warrant from HRH Queen Elizabeth II, as suppliers of cognac, in 1962.
In 2013, the HINE Cognac House is celebrating its 250th anniversary. The occasion will be celebrated by events all over the world. The first celebrations will take place in Jarnac in June. On the agenda: an exhibition, gala evenings and the unveiling of a new, exceptional Cognac – a limited edition of 250. François Le Grelle concludes
“Insist upon perfection. Only retain the exceptional. To celebrate 250 years of the House of HINE, we demanded these fundamental values. A cognac anthology - a decanter with an amazing shape designed by Andrée Putman, one of the most well-known French designers”. 
The festivities will continue into the autumn with a tour of major capitals, including London, New York, Moscow and Hong Kong. This will allow the House's foreign admirers, journalists, opinion leaders and professionals to take part in the celebrations.
Dominique Peyral-Bon
