O
n the banks of the Charente,
where the river runs through
the southwest of France, the
story of one of the finest cognac
in the world is unrivalled. From its humble
beginnings in Paris to its present home in
the sleepy town of Jarnac, Courvoisier has
been handcrafted in these parts for almost
two centuries. Smooth, dark and enriched
with an embodiment of complex aromas
and flavours, Courvoisier is the perfect
beverage to enjoy neat,mixed or in a punch
at home or on a night out.
It was after the French Revolution that
founders Emmanuel Courvoisier and Louis
Gallois decided to open a wine and spirit
company on the outskirts of Paris, north
of the river Seine in 1809. France was in
an uncertain climate, recovering from the
greatest and bloodiest political upheaval
in its history; nonetheless the wine trade
was already thriving and by 1811 the two
founders’ reputation was highly respected
amongst brandy connoisseurs. Napoleon
Bonaparte, the emperor at the time visited
their warehouses in Bercy, and impressed
with the taste, awarded the troops in his
artillery a ration of cognac to boost their
morale during the Napoleonic wars. It is
said that while en route to the remote
island of St. Helena, located between
Africa and South America, where he was
exiled following his defeat at the battle of
Waterloo, Napoleon enjoyed the luxury
of several casks of cognac and shared
it with his English captors on board the
HMS Northumberland during their 67-
day voyage. They named it ‘The Brandy of
Napoleon’.
In 1828 Felix Courvoisier and Jules
Gallois, sons of the two founders, moved
the headquarters from Paris to Jarnac,in the
heart of the Cognac region. A magnificent
and ornate Château built on the banks of
the river Charente in the 1840s became
the home of the newly established brand
of Courvoisier and remains their global
headquarters to this day.The reputation of
the cognac was so highly regarded that it
graced the tables of the Royal Courts of
Denmark, England and Sweden. Napoleon’s
nephew and heir, Napoleon III also
personally requested Courvoisier, giving
the company the title of ‘Fournisseur de la
Cour Impériale’ or official supplier to the
Imperial Court. Following his death in 1870,
Charles Dickens,the famous British novelist
is said to have left behind a collection of
more than 2,160 bottles of alcohol in his
home, including 216 bottles of a French
pale cognac labelled ‘F Courvoisier’, the
initials of Felix Courvoisier.
Courvoisier marked its place in history
as the cognac requested for the grand
opening of the Eiffel Tower at the 1889
World’s Fair in Paris. In attendance were
the royalty and celebrities of the day
including the future King Edward VII of
England, Buffalo Bill, Vincent Van Gogh,
Henry James and Thomas Edison. On that
day Courvoisier also won the ultimate
international prize, the Medaille d’Or. In
the early 1900s, thanks to the Brits and
their love of cognac, the grading of cognac
using English abbreviations such asVS (Very
Special),VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) and
XO (eXtra Old) was established. In 1909,
all brandies were defined as cognac (but
not the other way round) when the French
authorities legally decreed that a spirit
could be called a cognac if it adhered to
strict fermentation, distillation and ageing
requirements and was produced entirely
in the Cognac region of France. Also in
the same year, Alfred and George Simon
assumed leadership of the Courvoisier
brand and assigned the silhouette of
Napoleon to bottles of cognac.
The many delicious variations of the
cognac have no doubt made Courvoisier
a well renowned purveyor. Some of the
most famous variations include the iconic
shaped Josephine (named after Napoleon’s
first wife); Courvoisier VS, a fusion of
young and older cognac that has a fruity,
delicate taste with a rich, fresh and oaky
aroma; Courvoisier VSOP, a delicate
bouquet with an excellent balance of oak
and exotic flavours; Courvoisier Napoleon,
a delicate full-bodied and subtle cigar box
bouquet with hints of sandalwood, dried
apricot and mushrooms, and Courvoisier
XO, an intensely aromatic and flavourful
well-matured Grande Champagne aged
over long periods of time, and a favourite
with designers such as Erté and Vivienne
Westwood.
Courvoisier isn’t just about drinking fine
cognac, it’s about sharing the past, present
and future experience of one of France’s
finest creation. The exclusive tours at
Château Courvoisier namely the Classic,
Family Tradition, Historic Blends and From
Grapes to Glass tours will take you on a
revolutionary journey through time and
engage you in experiences such as the 3D
film and sensorial cinema experience ‘Le
Nez de Courvoisier’, a tasting from their
award-winning cognac portfolio, a VSOP
Exclusif drinks reception, sampling of their
Napoleon marque in the Château’s salon
and a selection of desserts that will guide
Courvoisier
Great Adv