Moisans: A property, a family, an overwhelming success

09/13

Winegrowers’ Portraits

Winegrowers’ Portraits Sireuil

Moisans

A property, a family,
an overwhelming success

As opposed to many other cognac houses,
the history of the Moisans distillery is not the typical one of a merchant set up in the town of Cognac selling under his own label the brandy purchased from regional growers or distillers. Instead the Moisans family history is rooted
in the soil and its vines through acquisition
of the Moisans Estate.

Les Moisans is a hamlet crossed from one end to the other by a narrow winding lane, lined along its route by high walls, old buildings, dwellings and courtyards all built many years ago from carved, magnificent local Sireuil stones. This white limestone is to thank for the region's incredible light, casting a pure glow, and has been used to construct all of the distillery's buildings. But this celebrated limestone also provides the best soil for growing vines: in search of nutrition, the roots of vine shoots need to plunge very deep into the ground, in some cases exceeding 10 meters.
Roland Bru set up operations in Sireuil during the 1960's by acquiring a property ideally located near the Charente River, which in the past was used to transport barrels of cognac. Loaded onto barges, these cognac supplies would make their way to Rochefort awaiting maritime shipment to faraway destinations.

With an aesthetic flair and an admirer of beauty, Roland Bru labored hard in pursuit of his objective: gain recognition for Cognac Moisans as a jewel in the market. His passing in 1997 was followed by a period of guardianship in the hands of a close family relation, but Roland's two daughters quickly decided to take over operations. The company has since been managed by one of them, Véronique Bru-Legaret, assisted by her son Roland Legaret. They are
accompanied in this venture by Jérôme Matteoli, a well-renowned figure in the cognac trade. A staff of 15 dedicated enthusiasts round out the team, which rallies behind the notion that the land is important, the vineyard essential and care given to the vines absolutely crucial in making cognacs with character, in line with the family tradition.
The estate encompasses 60 hectares, 30 of which are covered by vines grown in the Fins Bois sub-region. This certified Cognac appellation zone is well known for the smoothness of the brandy it produces as well as for the balance and suppleness of its cognacs following cellaring. The Ugni Blanc white grape varietal, of Mediterranean origin, is planted at a density of 2,500 vine stocks per hectare. Its late maturation allows for harvesting at the end of summer and yields a racy fresh wine, ideal for cognac production.

Distillerie des Moisans
Les Moisans
16440 Sireuil - France
Tel.: +33 (0)5 45 90 55 45
www.deaucognac.com

Inside the spacious, bright and comfortable cellar, twelve 2,500-liter Charente-style stills distill, between the end of the summer and March of the following year, wines kept in temperature-controlled vats. The distillation process runs continuously round the clock. To better oversee this delicate manual operation, the master distiller sleeps on-site and verifies its progress every hour. Two sequences are performed one after the next. Only the heart or middle portion of the second distillation (referred to as the “bonne chauffe”) will be selected to become cognac.
More than 2,000 barrels containing 350 liters each, nearly a hundred 350-hectoliter casks: such is the treasure of the Moisans estate. This vast reserve of cognac makes it possible to ensure constant quality, in addition to assembling well-aged cognacs and pleasing connoisseurs of this divine nectar in search of outstanding quality.
The Moisans Distillery has undertaken a major marketing investment in order to distinguish its products by a contemporary image. On January 30th 2012, in the elegant setting of Bar 8 at Paris' prestigious Mandarin Oriental Hotel, the company launched its new collection known as Deau. This XO (for extra old) trio is seeking out an elitist segment by virtue of the quality assembled by Master Distiller Philippe Fillon, eager to express his 35 years of experience with this house. His “Haute Couture” line of cognacs are presented one at a time in a 70-centiliter, attractive streamlined flask, designed by the Saverglass glassworks, featuring as an emblem a griffin beast, the stylized winged lion with an eagle's head.
Véronique Bru-Legaret, her son Roland and the entire team at Moisans Distillery can be proud of their accomplishments: in two years, they've catapulted the export share of sales from 2% to 40%, while creating in the process a line of exceptional products.