A Garrafa de Conhaque Gautier de 1762 Leiloada Como "A Mais Antiga" - Artigo

A Garrafa de Conhaque Gautier de 1762 Leiloada Como "A Mais Antiga" - Artigo

Artigo

As the oldest vintage Cognac ever to be sold at auction, the Gautier 1762 holds the answers to many questions about the history of French Brandy production.

We often refer to older Cognac vintages as being “pre-Phylloxera”. Between around 1872-74, vineyards across Europe were devastated by Phylloxera Vastatrix, a tiny insect related to the aphid that feeds on grapevines. The extent of the Phylloxera endemic in Cognac effectively ceased viticulture and wine production in the area. The problem was overcome by importing foreign rootstocks that were more resistant to Phylloxera and grafting the sprouting branches of alternative grape varietals onto them.

The remedy to Phylloxera saw a shift in production methods. As younger vine roots were planted, winemakers turned away from the region’s favourite grape Folle Blanche in favour of Ugni Blanc (although Folle Blanche can still be found even to this day). As the change in grape affected the resulting character of the wine and, most importantly, its sugar yield and profile, so too did the Cognac distillate begin to evolve. The new era of post-Phylloxera Cognac was born.

There are many cognacs that predate Phylloxera, however the 1762 Gautier Cognac takes us back even further into history. This vintage precedes even the French Revolution of 1789-1799, so we can imagine that Cognac businesses were operating under a very different economic, social and political climate. Indeed, going back to the time when Maison Gautier was founded, in 1755, Cognac spirit was often referred to and sold as “eau de vie”, or water of life. Much like Scotch Whisky’s equivalent, “uisge beatha”, these aqua vites all had something in common: they were clear spirits. It was only really when the Seven Years’ War of 1756-1763 broke out that cask maturation came into play.

As the Seven Years war began to absorb France’s military focus, it was the cities, rather than the provinces that saw the greatest impact. The knock-on effect of this to Cognac producers was two-fold. Firstly, there was the economic impact of war, which meant that fewer people in the cities were frequenting bars and spending money. Secondly, trade routes both domestically within France and beyond to countries such as England (who at the time were veracious consumers of Coganc’s eau de vie) were restricted.

This meant that Cognac distillers had to find somewhere to store their spirit until situations improved. With the introduction of the “tight” barrel (the watertight equivalent of the “slack” barrel that was used to store and transport dried goods such as grain), eau de vie was filled into wood and stored in distillery cellars for months and even years. When the spirit was finally filled into glass bottles and demijohns, it had taken on colour and flavour, becoming the Cognac brandy we know today. The Gautier 1762 finds itself at the beginning of this exploration into maturation and represents the dawning of oaked brandy.

This Gautier 1762, now known lovingly as the “Grand Frere”, or “Big Brother”, is actually one of a trio of 1762 bottles, all of varying sizes. The smallest of the three, the “Petite Soeur”, is now on display at Maison Gautier in Cognac. The “Petit Frere” was sold in 2014 at auction in New York for £48,000. The “Grand Frere” was the largest of these three bottles. All three were, for generations, owned by one family, who wish to remain anonymous.

The family in question have for years stored these three bottles cautiously in their cellar understanding that their condition, rarity and value must be preserved. The story of their procurement dates back generations to the 19th Century when the family adopted a son by the name of Alphonse. Alphonse was quiet and independent, and it wasn’t long before he left home to find work for himself. His intrepid nature led him to the vineyards of Cognac where he arrived in 1870, not long before the phylloxera outbreak.

After 10 years in Cognac Alphonse returned home. The devastation of phylloxera meant that many distillers had to make their way back to their families. Indeed times were so tough that many Cognac producers may have been unable to pay their staff, and instead provided them with bottles of brandy in lieu of wages. As Alphonse made his way home he brought with him a cart laden with bottles. Amongst these bottles were three of varying sizes, but in exceptional condition and with legible labels that read Gautier 1762: The Petite Soeur, Petit Frere and Grand Frere

Some years later, at the beginning of World War I, Alphonse was conscripted to the army. He sadly died in 1914 but left behind him a superb legacy: the oldest vintage Cognac ever to be sold at auction.