Vintage Early Landed (((Bottled 2004)))
⏳ Drinking Window
Ready to enjoy upon release; will remain in peak condition indefinitely when stored upright and away from direct light.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Smoked salmon, blue cheese, dark chocolate
✨ Technical Specifications
The tradition of 'Early Landed' Cognac is one of the spirits world's most fascinating historical anomalies, born from the close trade ties between southwest France and England. In the 19th century, Hine discovered that casks shipped to the damp, cool, and temperature-stable maritime cellars of Bristol, England, matured in a radically different manner than those left in the drier, warmer cellars of Jarnac. The high humidity of the British docks slows down the evaporation of alcohol while preserving the liquid's volume, resulting in a remarkably delicate, pale, and ethereal spirit. Distilled from the premier cru of Grande Champagne in 1990 and shipped to the United Kingdom shortly thereafter, this vintage was aged in Bristol until its bottling in 2004. It showcases the signature Early Landed profile: wonderfully floral, with notes of orange blossom, fresh citrus peel, honey, and a soft, understated oak influence.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1763 along the banks of the Charente River in Jarnac, Thomas Hine & Co. represents one of Cognac's most distinguished artisanal houses, underscored by being the sole cognac house to hold a British Royal Warrant since 1962. Hine centers its philosophy on the premier crus of Grande and Petite Champagne, farming 115 hectares across the chalk-dominant, undulating hillsides of Bonneuil under certified sustainable practices (HVE and CEC). Under long-standing Cellar Master Eric Forget, the house champions the belief that monumental cognac begins as pristine white wine. Vinified exclusively from Ugni Blanc, the wines undergo double distillation on fine lees in traditional Charentais copper pot stills, followed by aging in lightly toasted, fine-grained French oak casks to preserve floral vivacity and mineral nuance. Renowned for its single-estate and single-vintage bottlings, Hine is celebrated globally for benchmarks such as Antique XO Premier Cru, Homage Grand Cru, and its legendary Early Landed vintages matured in humid British cellars.
🍇 Base Ingredient
Ugni Blanc
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
40%