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Lavenat Cognac

Lavenat Cognac

Set in the village of Bassac, Lavenat is a lesser-known Cognac brand and estate with a very limited online presence. Monsieur Lavenat is the man behind the brand, who pours his heart and soul into producing quality Cognacs which are usually sold at annual wine salon events. With so much passion and experience behind him, he remains very well connected with the region, priding himself on offering the very best quality products possible and cheerful service with a smile.

Products

Monsieur Lavenat

As one of the lesser-known on the Cognac radar, Maison Lavenat is a brand that remains offline. So without being able to rely on the trusty investigative tools of the world wide web, we visited the estate in Bassac and talked to the head of the cognac house, his son and his grandson to discover more about the brand and the good-humoured man behind it in particular.

My wife is always asking me when I’ll retire…to which I respond I’m not working, it shouldn’t be classed as work if you love what you do in life.

The Cognacs: 30, 50 and 60 Years old

With 3 different cellars brimming with very old Cognacs, we soon discovered from the get-go that the cognac estate is a force to be reckoned with. He did admit, however, that he has now sold all of his vines, and completed his final distillation on-site back in 2007. So with production slowing down, due to his looming retirement – it seems like we turned up at just the right time. In fact, when we showed up for a surprise visit, it just so happened to be his 76th birthday!

Meet the Man behind the Cognac House Lavenat

At the forefront of Lavenat is a 76-year old man, the 6th generation to take the ropes of the family business. Starting out young, he has been captivated by the world of Cognac since he was a little boy. With so much passion and experience behind him, he remains very well connected with the region, priding himself on offering the very best quality products possible and cheerful service with a smile.

While many won’t have had the privilege of meeting him as he spends much of his time on his estate in Bassac, those that have, can confirm he is a humorous character, who loves to laugh and spread good cheer wherever he goes.

Over the years his products have been sold during annual wine salon events to discerning connoisseurs alike.

For the head of Cognac house Lavenat there are 3 fundamentals components to consider when it comes to Cognac:

  • Quality of the product
  • Cheerful service
  • A price to match the quality and service

With the production of high quality products his driving force behind the brand, his values for the importance of decent human interaction are also clear as he takes pride in offering a high level customer service and ultimate customer satisfaction.

Through living a life of passion, providing a quality service comes naturally to him, as his jovial personality is in keeping with the joy and passion found for his love of Cognac.

My wife is always asking me when I’ll retire…to which I respond I’m not working, it shouldn’t be classed as work if you love what you do in life.

At home on the estate, Bernard’s wife Marie Joseph also helps out with administrative duties, meanwhile, there is talk that his grandson may jump on board with the family business to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps in the future.

What does Bernard do when he’s not devoting his life to Cognac, may you ask? Every year he takes a vacation to a small village in the south of Dresden as a business partner who he became great friends lives there. He’s also enthusiastic about German cars, he drives a Porsche and BMW – one of which features cool Cognac coloured interiors (of course!).

Bernard Lavenat Cognacs: 30, 50 and 60 Years Old

Bernard Lavenat Très Vieux

Cognac Age: avg. 60 years old

Growth Area: Fins Bois

Natural: No coloring, no boisé, no additives

ABV: 40 %

Bottle size: 70 cl

$ 343
excl. TAX excl. shipping

Bernard Lavenat Vieille Réserve

Cognac Age: avg. 50 years old

Growth Area: Fins Bois

Natural: No coloring, no boisé, no additives

ABV: 40 %

Bottle size: 70 cl

$ 189
excl. TAX excl. shipping

Bernard Lavenat XO

Cognac Age: avg. 30 years old

Growth Area: Fins Bois

Natural: No coloring, no boisé, no additives

ABV: 40 %

Bottle size: 70 cl

$ 94
excl. TAX excl. shipping

Reviews (13)

Average rating

Highly Recommended 89 /100
Nose
Mouth
Taste
Finish
Impression
  • Located in Bassac
  • Bernard is 76 years old
  • Final distillation on-site back in 2007
  • All natural: no coloring, no boisé, no additifs
  • Cognacs are limited in quantity

History of Maison Lavenat

Currently, in the sixth generation of the family business, Monsieur Lavenat has been involved at the estate since he was a little boy. So naturally, he embodies much of the brand's recent history, as he has single handily run the show for decades. From the vines to distillation, aging and bottling - he oversees every step of the production process with unquestionable passion. So much so that he doesn't view his position as the cellar-master to be an occupation at all but merely a hobby he gets to fulfil every day.

Lavenat Today

Today, the head of the cognac house Lavenat values three fundamental components for running a credible Cognac brand, including high-quality products, cheerful service, and prices that match the quality and service. With the production of high-quality products, he's driving force behind the brand, he takes pride in offering high-level customer service and ultimate customer satisfaction. This arguably comes naturally to him, who lives a life of passion, as his jovial personality is in keeping with the joy and passion found for his love of Cognac.

Having now sold all of his vines, and with his last bottled distilled in 2007, he is still in business, however, slowing down production as he recently turned 76 years old. The future of Lavenat is currently still unknown, but rumour has it there is potential for his daughter to take over in the family business in the years to come.

Products and News

Primarily producing very old, well-aged Cognacs (with his oldest Cognac dating back to the 1940s!), the range includes:

  • VS Cognac (aged ten years)
  • VSOP Cognac (aged 15 years)
  • XO Cognac (30 years - 40% ABV)
  • Vieille Reserve (50 years - 40% ABV)
  • Très Vieux (60 years)

All of which are free from colouring, boisé and additives.

Visit

There is currently little information about organising visits to the Lavenat estate; however, let it be known that he and his team are extremely cheerful and are likely to welcome visitors with open arms should they receive interest.

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