🥃 Borderies

Borderies is an additional geographical name for the controlled appellation “Cognac” and the smallest of the six cognac crus: about 4,000 hectares of vineyards on the right bank of the Charente, north and west of the town of Cognac. The specification describes the local cognac spirits as rounded, aromatic and soft, with a characteristic scent of violets.

Boundaries. The cru was defined by a decree of 13 January 1938, based on the soil classification drawn up around 1860 by the geologist Henri Coquand. Under the current AOC Cognac specification, approved on 10 June 2026, Borderies includes the communes of Javrezac, Louzac-Saint-André, Saint-Laurent-de-Cognac and Val-de-Cognac, the right-bank part of the town of Cognac in the Charente department, and Burie and Chérac in Charente-Maritime.

Soil and flavour. The soils here are flinty clay, with flint left behind after the limestone was leached away. According to the specification, Borderies spirits reach their best quality sooner than spirits from Grande and Petite Champagne. Difford's Guide adds nutty notes and points out that pure Borderies is rare: it is mostly blended with other crus. Separate Borderies releases are made by, among others, the family-owned house of Camus.

History and rules. The specification notes that as early as the Renaissance, Dutch ships carried wines from the “Champagne” and “Borderies” crus out of the Charente ports, and the Dutch later began to distil them. The other rules are the same as for any cognac: mainly Ugni Blanc grapes, double distillation in a copper Charentais pot still to no more than 73.7% ABV, and ageing only in oak for at least two years.

Why this matters to you. “Borderies” on the label means that all the spirits come from one small cru rather than from the whole Cognac area. The name does not indicate age: that is shown by the VS, VSOP or XO designations. This is a strong drink of 40% ABV or more. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.