Meukow VSOP

Meukow VSOP Cognac

Meukow is an interesting Cognac house because it combines a very old name with relatively modern family ownership, and its style tends toward the richer, rounder, fruitier side of Cognac.

The Meukow story

The house traces its beginning to Auguste-Christophe and Gustav Meukow, brothers from Silesia. In 1850 they came to France looking for eaux-de-vie, and after repeated trips established A.C. Meukow & Co. in Cognac on August 1, 1862. The house subsequently passed through several owners before joining Compagnie de Guyenne, the independent family group founded by Michel Coste, in 1979. Today Meukow remains within the Coste family’s group and is distributed in more than 80 countries.

You’ll sometimes encounter a more romantic version of the origin story saying that the brothers were sent by Tsar Alexander II to secure Cognac for the Russian court. That story is repeated by Cognac tourism sources, although Meukow’s own current history is more restrained, simply saying they were sent to France to find eaux-de-vie and that the earliest production was intended to satisfy Silesian royalty.

The unmistakable panther came much later. Michel Coste created the distinctive Félin [feline] bottle in 1993. Meukow says the animal was chosen to represent three qualities it wanted associated with the Cognac: strength, elegance and suppleness. And, that panther isn’t merely a label. It’s a large sculptural relief molded into the glass, which is why a bottle of Meukow is so easy to recognize across a bar.

How Meukow makes its Cognac

Meukow isn’t presenting itself as a single-cru specialist in the way that some smaller houses do. Its house style comes primarily from blending eaux-de-vie from several Cognac crus. Current cellar master Anne Sarteaux says the house particularly uses Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne for floral richness and complexity, supplemented by Fins Bois, Bons Bois, and Borderies for fruit and woody characteristics.

Meukow VSOP Superior

Meukow doesn’t merely call this VSOP. The house describes it as VSOP Superior, and there’s a substantive reason. A standard VSOP Cognac must have its youngest eaux-de-vie aged at least four years. Meukow says its VSOP receives a minimum aging one year longer than traditional VSOP, effectively putting the youngest component at at least five years. That extra year doesn’t magically make it equivalent to an XO, of course—the age designation is determined by the youngest eaux-de-vie—but it can make a meaningful difference in a relatively youthful blend.

Meukow VSOP Cognac

This elixir pours a golden amber.  The nose presents some oak and fruit, mostly apple and plum.  The medium-to-full bodied palate delivers more oak, caramel,  a bit of sweetness, and a savory background of leather.  The medium-long finish moves towards toasted oak and mild tannins. There is a nice round smooth mouthfeel, with good balance overall.  Although you could use this in cocktails, it is excellent neat in a snifter or tulip glass.

A note about brandy vs. Cognac: brandy is a liquor distilled from wine and aged in wood. (Brandy can be made from fruits other than grapes as well, but that’s a story for another time.) Cognac is brandy that specifically comes from the town of Cognac and the delimited surrounding areas in western France. (The one which has the most favorable soil and geographical conditions is Grande Champagne.) So, all Cognacs are brandy, but not all brandies are Cognac. For more detail on brandy and Cognac, click here.