Camus has launched a limited-edition and historically significant Cognac called Return to Saint-Aulaye.
The Cognac is so named as it is the first to come out of the last vineyards of Dordogne in southwest France. Unknown to many, a small corner of the Dordogne region is included within the Cognac appellation and Saint-Aulaye is one of the few remaining villages in the area entitled to that appellation.
Return to Saint-Aulaye is a single-cru, single-varietal expression from an area known to many as Périgord – widely recognised for its gastronomic heritage, but lesser known as being part of the Cognac appellation.
The Cognac represents the culmination of a decades-long project to rediscover and protect a unique terroir, Camus said. “Although geographically part of the Cognac AOC [appellation d’origine contrôlée] ever since it was first mapped out, the historical tradition of Cognac-making was actually on the verge of disappearing from this area,” the company commented.
The launch follows the 2019 creation of another historic limited-edition concept, Caribbean Expedition, the end result of ten casks of Cognac being transported by tall ship from France to Barbados followed by further maturation in tropical weather.
Working hand-in-hand with the Saint-Aulaye local council, Camus scoured local archives and identified the parcels where vineyards had existed since the 18th century. There the company replanted Colombard grape vines – one of the rarest varieties in the appellation because of its low yield but also one of the most aromatic.
Camus then revived traditional practices such as using local wood from the La Forêt de la Double (the Double Forest) for ageing.
The end result is a 2016 vintage Cognac released in a batch of just 3,000 bottles “to let the world know about this small, beautiful geographical expression of Cognac that deserves to be discovered,” said Camus Global Brand Manager Pier Paolo Catucci.
The small-batch Cognac will be available for pre-sale on www.camus.fr from 2 to 26 April, shipping worldwide. It will then be available from top selected retailers.
Progressive change in the agricultural landscape of the Dordogne region led to a gradual decline in Cognac production towards the middle of the last century, to the point where it was running the risk of disappearing entirely.
By the early 90s, the total surface planted with vineyards for Cognac in Dordogne was reduced by over -90%, which had a severe impact on the survival of its production in this specific area.
In 1999, the Saint-Aulaye Council decided to take action.
Local institutions launched a mapping of the most suitable areas and supported the replanting of a 1.5-hectare plot of Colombard – the rarest among the grape varieties allowed in the Cognac Appellation due to its low yield, but at the same time one of the most sought after, due to its aromatic qualities.
With a clear picture in mind of the future Cognac production, the Saint-Aulaye village Council turned to Camus as its chosen partner.
Thanks to its credentials in terms of research and innovation in the category, Camus would craft a Cognac to bring to life the real essence of the terroir. Return to Saint-Aulaye was born.
Click on the image to learn about the Cognac itself and the distinctive design
As per the Camus tradition, wines were distilled on the lees. The selection of the heads during the second distillation was limited to 10 litres with high aromatic potential. Click to expand the text to discover more about the production process.
Click to enlarge and read about the comparison between Camus VSOP and Return to Saint-Aulaye