In November we hosted Noé Tesseron, Co-owner and fourth generation of the Tesseron Cognac dynasty at our Knightsbridge retail experience for an intimate tasting event. The evening took attendees through the storied history of the Tesseron brand, accompanied by a tasting of five exceptional Tesseron cognacs each paired with a delicious canapé. We were fortunate enough to get some time with Noé Tesseron to ask some questions around Tesseron, cognac and what’s next for the iconic cognac house.

Q: Who are you, and what is your role at Tesseron?

Noé: “I’m Noé Tesseron, I am the Co-owner and Sales Director of Tesseron Cognac, and fourth generation of my family to represent the cognac house, that was created in 1905.  

My role is to run the elaboration and sales of our cognacs, and most of all to share our family’s passion for cognac and bring our exceptional creations to people around the world.”

Q: What’s the story behind Tesseron Cognac?

Noé: “Tesseron Cognac was founded by my great-grandfather Abel Tesseron, who was originally a viticulturer in 1905. For one hundred years, the house specialised in crafting exceptional blends and supplying them to the most renown cognac houses, who use to incorporate to their own blends. Under my grandfather Guy Tesseron, the house quickly became the specialist in providing some of the oldest and most qualitative blends in the region.

In 2003, under the influence of my father Alfred and thanks to an exceptional collection of cognacs that was built through these many years as a supplier, we started commercialising cognacs under our own name, specialising in exceptional extra old blends (XO & Beyond).”

Q: What is cognac?

Noé: “Cognac is essentially a brandy made from distilled wine coming from specific grapes grown exclusively in the Cognac region of France, under the official Cognac appellation. This product especially comes to life after being aged in French oak casks for many years and sometimes many generations, where it will develop its unique flavours and complexity.”

Q: How is cognac made?

Noé: “It starts in our vineyards, located in Grande and Petite Champagne (the two most renown Crus of the Cognac region), where we harvest Ugni Blanc, Colombard and Folles-Blanches grapes, and make a wine that is going to be distilled in an ancient traditional way: the cognac double distillation, in our distillery’s copper pot stills.

The result of that distillation is the “eau-de-vie” of cognac, which will be aged for many years in oak casks, where it will develop its aromas and unique character. From these exceptional collections of old eau-de-vies, we create unique and subtle blends, which we will then bottle and share under our name.” 

Q: What are VS, VSOP, and XO?

Noé: “These terms refer to how long the cognac has been aged in oak casks. VS is at least 2 years, VSOP is 4, and XO is 10 or more. The longer it ages, the smoother and more complex and aromatic it becomes. All of Tesseron cognac blends are XO cognacs, and have been aged for at least ten years, but most of them many more years and even generations.”

Q: How does ageing impact cognac?

Noé: “Cognac is a unique spirit that is all about ageing, as the aromatic potential of grape based spirits is unbeatable. This is where the magic happens, as time will work on the smoothness and complexity of the eau-de-vies, and as the oak will be adding richness, depth, and those beautiful flavours that make cognac so special.”

Q: How should cognac be enjoyed?

Noé: “XO cognacs taste incredible at room temperature in a tulip glass. It really enhances the experience by concentrating and releasing the complexity and richness of the aromas on the nose. To me, the best way to appreciate the complexity of a cognac is to witness its evolution in the glass and taste it over a few minutes.  

For younger and less subtle cognacs, I am not against drinking them on the rocks. The goal is that anyone appreciates it the way he wants.”

Q: What’s your favourite food pairing with cognac?

Noé: “Old cognacs such as our Lot n°53 XO Perfection pairs incredibly well with chocolate or red fruits. Younger XOs like the Lot n°90 XO Ovation go surprisingly well with cheeses like Roquefort for instance. People would be surprised at the amount of great food pairing you can do with such a complex product. It’s all about finding flavours that complement each other. And of course, it may sounds very old school but an older cognac with a cigar is always a good match.”

Q: Which Tesseron cognac is your favourite?

Noé: “That’s tough, as they all have their own personality and style. But if I really have to choose one right now, I’d say our very first limited release: Tesseron Experience 01. This cognac was blended two generations ago by my grandfather and was slowly naturally reducing in two casks and gaining incredible smoothness and complexity. Only 1,000 bottles have been commercialised, and this blend will never be recreated, thus I am always happy to have a glass before it disappears… It’s incredibly refined and captures everything I love about cognac.”

Q: What’s next for Tesseron?

Noé: “We have a lot of projects that we will share soon with cognac lovers around the world, especially as we are soon celebrating the 120^thanniversary of the creation of the house this year. In the meantime, and as always, we stay focus on preserving the amazing heritage that constitutes our collections, and also on reaching new audiences, as we still are a confidential house. The notion of time in cognac is unique, and the future of Tesseron is to try to think a few generations ahead, as my ancestors did!”

You can find out more about the Tesseron brand here, and you can shop the range of exceptional Tesseron cognacs online, or by visiting our Knightsbridge retail experience at 3-4 William Street today.