Pineau des Charentes is a sweet, reasonly strong Vin de Liqueur of the Charentais (Cognac) region of western France. It is made by adding Cognac eau-de-vie from the previous year's distillation (or older) to fresh grape must of the current vintage. By law, the must is required to be freshly harvested and, while it may have undergone a partial fermentation, its sugar content at the moment of mutage (when the spirit is added) must be above 170g per liter. The Cognac itself must have an alcohol content of at least 60 percent and must have been held in barrel before use.

The Pineau des Charentes title was introduced in 1945 and has proved a useful outlet for wines not otherwise used for Cognac. The symbiosis between Cognac and Pineau des Charentes is excellent; it allows for both hot vintages (when acid levels may fall too low to be adequate for Cognac) and cool vintages (when the grapes may struggle to ripen sufficiently for use in table wines).

On the nose, it reveals its very rich aromas made up of fresh fruit (peach, plum and fig) and dried fruit (almond, prune and quince paste). It also has floral notes. On the palate, fresh fruit dominates, with a very pleasant freshness which is close to citrus fruits, to balance the sweetness. The finish has a hint of honey and vanilla. A gorgeous aperitif, but can go well with duck, foie gras or with dessert.

Château des Plassons was built in the 15th century. At this time, the King Francois the First was born in Cognac. Between the 15th century to the 17th century Château des Plassons managed all the vineyards located around the Chateau. In the 18th century, Château des Plassons had their own vineyards. The development of the region then allowed the extension of the Château. The distillery and warehouses built in the courtyard of Château des Plassons form the centrepiece of a beautiful wine-growing ensemble, where the art of making cognac in the strict traditional way of the Charente region, is passed on from generation to generation. It was in 2009 that Julien and David Pannaud, fourth generation in a line of Cognac winegrowers, took over Château des Plassons in the heart of Charente. TERROIR: Planted on a hillside and protected from the wind, the vineyard is situated on an exceptional geological plateau of limestone, creating light and fruity characteristics.

This domaine covers 120 hectares PRODUCTION METHOD: Here, the Pannaud brothers pay homage to Rastignac, a man of taste directed by Balzac. It is produced exclusively from grape must from the ugni-blanc grape varieties, combined with a Cognac from the property, previously aged for 2 years in century-old oak barrels. Fermentation of wine destined for Cognac: Natural fermentation thanks to precise temperature controls throughout the whole process.

Distillation occurs in one of the wings of the Chateau, in century old “Charentais” copper stills (alambic). Double distillation in small, 12hl stills, over a 24hr period results in the best aromas. Mutage and ageing: The grape must and the Eau de Vie (cognac) from lzac. It is produced exclusively from grape must from the ugni-blanc grape varieties, combined with a Cognac from the property, previously aged for 2 years in century-old oak barrels.