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Cognac Age Designations

Unlike Armagnac, where it is common to see single-vintage, single-vineyard bottlings, Cognac is typically made from a blend of several different vineyard sites and vintages, mostly to satisfy the large demand for the spirit (production is huge, but approximately 80% of the world’s Cognac is sold by four major houses: Hennessy, Remy Martin, Courvoisier, and Martell). Because of this, the age designation on a Cognac label refers to the youngest eau de vie in the blend.

VS or “Very Special” (also called ***) indicates a minimum of 2 years old

VSOP or “Very Superior Old Pale” (also called “Very Special Old Pale,” “Reserve,” or “VO”) indicates a minimum of 4 years old

XO or “Extra Old” (also called “Hors d’Age” or “Napoleon”) indicates a minimum of 6 years old, but that requirement will be upgraded to 10 years on April 10, 2016; in practice, however, many producers age their XOs for 15-20 years

Other Label Designations

Vintage - Uncommon, but vintage bottlings are legal in Cognac

Regional - A bottling can be labeled by region (i.e. “Grand Champagne”) if 100% of the spirit originated from the stated area

Fine Champagne - exists for Cognacs distilled entirely from wine produced within the Petite Champagne and Grande Champagne subregions, with Grande Champagne comprising at least 51% of the blend.