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{ SOMMjournal.com } 73 PMS 872 Salignac® Cognac, 40% alc./vol. ©2017 Courvoisier Import Company, Chicago, IL Aged almost seven years, the Gloria Ferrer 2008 Royal Cuvée—a two-thirds Pinot Noir and one-third Chardonnay blend originally cre- ated for the King and Queen of Spain's 1987 visit—presents a complex caramel nose with richer apple, toast, citrus, and nut flavors in the mouth. The back palate also shows its maturity—broad, luxurious, and clearly worth the wait. For the second half of the tasting, the group turned to one of the world's most historic and beloved Cognac producers—Courvoisier. Founded in 1809, the Cognac house swiftly found favor with Napoleon Bonaparte's imperial court. When he was later exiled from France and permitted one final luxury, legend has it he requested a cask of Courvoisier. Brand Ambassador Zahra Bates introduced the spirit over a colorful fall luncheon at Sonoma Grille and demonstrated its versatility with every course. She explained, "There are two styles of Cognac fermenta - tion. One is a more modern method, which works best for eaux de vie designated for younger cognac, and the secondary or 'le malo' fermentation, which works best for eaux de vie that will be laid down for a much longer period of time. Both are 'true' cognacs. There are seven strains of yeast allowed for the single fermentation style for quality control purposes and depen - dent on climate influences." An age of at least 100 years is legally required to fell a European oak. "Courvoisier only sustainably and locally sources 200-plus-year-old trees to ensure minimal possibilities of imperfections in the wood," Bates continued. Once felled, the tree is cut into staves and aged another three years before use in barrels. Courvoisier purchases French oak directly from the source, using both fine-grain and wide-grained wood. It selects whole trees from the Jupilles, Tronçais, and Limousin forests, and takes them to a cooper - age for custom-built barrels. These are then used for decades: Newly- distilled Cognac goes first into new barrels (only zero to five years old), is racked into barrels that are five to ten years old, and then racked again into barrels that are ten to one hundred years old. Courvoisier VS is a blend of crus aged between three and five years. Courvoisier VS "is a clear wine distillate and every marque employs secondary fermentation," added Bates. Ripe fresh fruit and spring flower aromas mingle with caramel oak notes—ideally balanced for cocktails. The VSOP shows an appealing, nutty warmth and is bright and tender with ripe stone fruit notes—a solid foundation for the restaurant's Sonoma Sunrise cocktail and an excellent partner for a pear, walnut, and radicchio salad. Courvoisier XO is a blend of eaux-de-vie aged 11–25 years from Cognac's Borderies growing region, known for displaying a "peppery-rye quality at the back of the pallet," according to Bates. With intense aromatic violets on the nose and a texture as rich as crème brûlée, this Cognac shone with grilled salmon, hanger steak, and wild mushroom risotto. Napoleon Fine Champagne is a full-bod - ied blend of eaux-de-vie originating in the Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne growing regions. "Napoleon is a Cognac category as well and must legally be aged from ten to twenty years," says Bates. Aged in rich Tronçais oak, its creamy texture and notes of cigar-box and caramelized apricot would make Napoleon proud. The incredible Courvoisier lineup served at the Sonoma Grill luncheon. Eva Bertran, Vice President of Marketing at Gloria Ferrer in Sonoma. Zahra Bates, Brand Ambassador for Courvoisier, at Gloria Ferrer in Sonoma.