Better Together

For our first house Cognac, we knew it had to be something special. What we didn't know was that the product of this journey would be something entirely unique and unequivocally exceptional.

“We are on the cusp of a Cognac renaissance” quickly became the driving force behind this project, headed up by our award-winning Spirit Buyers, Nick Larsson-Bell (Retail Buyer of the Year 2022) and Bryan Rodriguez (judge for the IWSC, The Spirits Business and World Drinks Awards, among others). And so, the journey began to source and craft a spirit worthy of such context and our Harvey Nichols customers' discerning tastes.

When tasked with choosing a supplier, we focused on taste, quality and sustainability objectives, of which ours were ambitious. “When considering provenance, heritage, quality, attention to detail and ambitious sustainability goals, there could only be one producer for us, and that’s Hine.”

The once Dorset-born marque has been in the business of producing world-class spirit for over 250 years, with its high-quality production methods, artisanal practices and exacting standards affording it the position of official, sole Cognac supplier to the royal household.

Its products, crafted exclusively using the region's first two growths of Grande Petit Champagne, are unrivalled, which is why our team spent three days at its French vineyards with Cellar Master Eric Forget for one, fundamental request for taste.

Eric presented the team with several bespoke V.S.O.P. blends, but with each offering an incredible experience of palate, it was an impossible choice. It was at this point that the trio had their “Eureka!” moment and decided to combine two of the blends – one rich in notes of lemon posset and the other praline. “It was clear to all of us that we had created a V.S.O.P. like no other.”

Let's cut to the taste. Setting this V.S.O.P. apart are creamy, rich flavours, offset by summery citrus, offering wildly deep complexity built on juxtaposing tastes – gianduja, blossom honey, lemon zest and orange blossom.

Layers of spices, chocolate-covered fudge and delicately vibrant wildflowers sit atop earthy undergrowth notes that unfold across a sipping experience, rich and smooth in texture, akin to melting chocolate.

Creamy lemon posset and shortbread accompanied by nuances of oak, vanilla, roasted Piedmont hazelnut and forest floor build to an illuminated, lasting finish. Weighty and assured, this is a connoisseur’s choice, a Cognac for all seasons.

Words by Kirstie Finlayson