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Chollet Cognac

Chollet Cognac

The house of Chollet Cognac might have a shorter history than some in the region, but it's a fascinating one. In addition, the stor just goes to show what can be achieved if you truly want to follow your passion. The hard work that the founders of Chollet Cognac undertook in 1952 is tantamount to the success of the house today. It's a wonderful example of how a small, artisan brand can bring the delicious wonders of the world of Cognac to us, as a consumer. The range on offer from Chollet includes some very old Cognacs–very certainly ones that will appeal to anyone who appreciates the finer things in life. Definitely a brand to explore for both the connoiseur and the less experienced Cognac drinker.

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Cognac Chollet under the Spotlight

In our quest to expose the hidden gems of rural Cognac, this time, we’re shining some light on Chollet Cognac, a lesser-known brand in the Cognac-sphere. Delve into the world of the Chollet family, and their expertise alongside the maison’s impressive collection of Cognacs with our deep dive below.

We are thrilled to introduce you to a handful of spectacular Cognacs and Rhum Agricoles from Maison Chollet. Chollet bottled two Rhums, both coming from Distillerie Bielle in Marie Galante. Serge Valentin at whiskyfun fun calls Bielle one of the Grands Crus of Rhum - not to be missed rhums.

The Story of Chollet Cognac: Companionship, hard work & perseverance

The Chollet story starts in 1952, when Jeannine and Jacques Chollet, who were recently married, set their sights on a small farm in the commune of Boutiers St-Trojan, not far from the heart of Cognac. The farm featured around 10 hectares of land, sufficient for 80 lots, but at the time, it had very few vines. At first, the pair struggled to make ends meet as despite their strong companionship and heady drive to pour all they could into their work, with only two workhorses (named Mirka and Baillard), it proved extremely difficult to earn a living solely from working on the land.

Never the quitter, Jacques, with a fighting spirit, shining optimism and fierce rugby player mentality, knew that he needed to take a few risks in order to invest in and develop the business. So he started by purchasing; a herd of cattle, some pigs and (of course!) planting some vines. Then, in 1960, the first-ever private telephone in the area was installed at the Chollet farm and home, as well as the first Renault D30 tractor. This provoked scepticism from other local villagers, who questioned the new technological advances supported by Chollet as they feared for their financial survival. Nevertheless, despite the initial controversy, these investments very quickly began to pay off.

With new land and vineyards becoming available that proved to be ideal for what Jacques needed, the manual and agricultural work was taken on by Jacques. At the same time, the business administration and household responsibilities were managed by Jeannine. In the meantime, the family was growing bigger and bigger, with eight children now under their wing.

By 1971, Jacques and Jeannine were ready for a new challenge, something bigger and better than ever. So, with tools in hand and with the help of their family and friends, they built their own distillery. This enabled them to distil for both wine growers and merchants.

Once the distillery was finished, the first Cognac was produced, and the du Planty Distillery was officially alive and roaring. With this new advancement on the farm, the pair could now turn to broaden their business through trade, and so they proceeded by launching the bottling business in 1977, which led to an expanded range of wines and Cognacs.

The rest is still unwritten…

Nearly twenty years later, in 1995, Jacques and Jeannine separated the wine and agricultural activity from that of the business and passed on the vineyard to sons Bertrand Chollet and Christophe Chollet to take over the management of Chollet Cognac.

Retiring in 2008, Jacques and Jeannine were proud to hand over the family business to its second generation, who is currently writing its next chapters. Having worked at their parents' business, Bertrand, Christophe and their other siblings congratulate their parents, the founders of the business, for the work they have accomplished and the values they passed on along the way.

Chollet 70th Anniversary

50 Years Old Grande Champagne

In celebration of 70 years of refined craftsmanship, Chollet launched its Grande Champagne Cognac. Aged gracefully for over 50 years, this exquisite cognac boasts a robust 42% ABV, ensuring each sip is as memorable as their journey. Strictly limited in quantity, it's rarer than a sighting of a comet. Each bottle, a collector's dream, comes nestled in a bespoke wooden case.

Exclusively available at Cognac Expert.

Sold out. Sorry, you missed it.

Cognac Age: Hors d'Age Cognac, aged for 50 Years Old

Growth Area: Grande Champagne 

ABV: 42%

Rhums bottled by Chollet

History of Chollet Cognac

It was back in the year 1952 that the newlyewed couple, Jeannine and Jacques Chollet, fell in love with a small farm near the town of Cognac. The pair were certainly entrepreneurs of their time, and the 10 hectare small-holding in the tiny commune of Boutiers St-Trojan soon became their new home. This certainly presented them with a challenge, which they rose to admirably. Back in these days there was no heavy machinery or technology to assist them–faming their land was all down to personal hard graft and that of their two horses, Mirka and Baillard.

Youth, optimisim, sweat, and tears saw the couple invest, take risks, and help forge a path forwards to success, as well as raising many eyebrows as they brought change and techological advancement to the region. Indeed, when they had a telephone installed in 1960, it was the very first in the area. They were assigned with a phone number of simply, 2. When they soon after purchased a Renault D30 tractor, many locals began to fear for their financial survival.

But in despite of this suspicion (or perhaps because of it), these and their other investments began to pay off. They purchased new land and vineyards, and eight children later, Jeannine and Jacques began to further expand. With help from family and friends they built a distillery, and in 1971 their first Cognac was produced.

Chollet Cognac today

Today Chollet Cognac is in the capable hands of Bertrand and Christope Chollet, sons of Jeannine and Jacques. The founding couple continued to work both their Cognac business and agricutural buinsess until it was seperated in 1995. And in 2008 they retired. The hard work continues, courtesy of Bertrand and Christophe, who've both inherited the passion, skills, and entrepreneurial spirit from their parents.

They work tirelessly in the production of their Cognacs, as well as having expanded the business to include offering bed and breakfast, and a camp site for motor homes. They also take their Cognacs to many high-end industry shows to further bring the delights of their Craft offerings to a global community.

News, products, anecdotes, and awards

One can only imagine how hard it must've been for Jeannine and Jacques back in the 1950s. Not only were they, strangers to the area, setting up in a very close knit and hard to infliltrate network, but they were also bringing never-before seen technology to the playing field! It was no wonder they were looked upon with, one would imagine, a fair amount of hilarity and much suspicion. But hooray for trail blazers such as them. Because without such forward thinking spirits, no industry would ever progress.

Today the majority of the Cognacs produced by Chollet are a Napoleon quality and above. One notable offering is the Grande Champagne Altesse Extra, which was awarded the Gold Medal in the 6th Challenge to the Best French Spirits for Asia 2017.

Visit Chollet Cognac

The house of Chollet Cognac can be visited during the summer from Monday to Friday. Opening hours are 8:00 am to 12:30 pm, and 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm.  Saturday visits are possible but by appointment only.

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