FIVE OAKS SOURCED FROM THE GARDENS AT THE PALACE OF VERSAILLES SELECTED FOR THE AGING OF EXCEPTIONAL HENNESSY COGNACS

Maison Hennessy has crafted 30 remarkable tierçons from oaks planted more than two centuries ago on the grounds of the Palace of Versailles, in order to mature exceptional eaux-de-vie that will reveal very special, particular aromas.

OAK TREES FROM THE PALACE OF VERSAILLES HAVE BEEN ENTRUSTED TO MAISON HENNESSY

In 2011, the Île Royale — also known as the Bosquet du Roi (King’s Grove)— located in the southwest section of the gardens at the Palace of Versailles presented a need for considerable restoration. In fact, during the devastating storm of 1999, certain trees showed such signs of fragility that they had to be replaced. They had been planted here around 1750. At the time, the most beautiful oak saplings had been chosen from royal plant nurseries.
“The oak is the most beautiful of all trees; it grows slowly, but it lasts for centuries,” predicted Antoine-Nicolas Duchesne, botanist to the King, in 1764, when they were just seedlings.

In 2011, following an urgent selective cutting campaign, Maison Hennessy became a patron of Versailles and was entrusted with five of the cut oaks from the palace grounds, and it fell to the House to perpetuate their history. That commitment finds a new, contemporary expression in 2022, thanks to a five-year patronage dedicated to enriching biodiversity in the parks and gardens of the Palace of Versailles.

Having received these five of the oaks from the Bosquet du Roi, Maison Hennessy took special care of them, and transformed them into staves of exceptional size to make 540-liter casks.
Drying in the open air for several years lets the wood become infused with the gentle climate of the Cognac region.

Nearly 10 years later, time had worked its magic, and the moment had come for these trees with a singular destiny to begin their second life. Inside Maison Hennessy’s traditional tonnellerie workshop, Master Barrel-makers created 30 tierçons. Entirely handmade according to time-honored savoir-faire, these oak barrels are an ideal size for long-term aging, which allows eaux-de-vie to become richer and develop unique aromas.

HENNESSY RÉSERVE ROYALE COGNACS

For more than 250 years, the House of Hennessy has presided over a remarkable collection of eaux-de-vie, in terms of both quality and quantity. These are aged for a long time until the final stage of blending, an art that has been passed down for more than two centuries within a single family of Master Blenders: the Fillioux family, whose destiny is intertwined with that of the Maison Hennessy.
Pillars of savoir-faire and guardians of heritage both tangible and intangible, it is they who created the “cuts” and cognac blends that became the House’s signatures.

Once the 30 tierçons were finalized, Renaud Fillioux de Gironde, the family’s eighth-generation Master Blender, carefully selected several batches of young, high-potential eaux-de-vie that are worthy of these exceptional containers for all or part of their aging.

The wood from the Bosquet du Roi in Versailles, a truly historic site, can now confer its singular character to the few eaux-de-vie selected for such a destiny. The 30 tierçons now rest in the Founder’s Cellar, and the eaux-de-vie they contain will be blended to create various exceptional cognacs.

Catherine Pégard, President of the Château de Versailles, said: “The tempest of 1999 that devastated the gardens at Versailles reminded us of the fragility of even the most robust trees. I am pleased that, thanks to his expertise, the Master Blender at Maison Hennessy is prolonging the life of trees that have played a part in the history and influence of the Palace of Versailles.”

Laurent Boillot, President of Hennessy, notes: “The long-term is our horizon. Maison Hennessy is more than 250 years old, and we are preparing the future of our cognacs. When the oak trees our barrels are made of come from the grounds at the Palace of Versailles, and were planted under Louis XV, we are not only paying tribute to the long term but to a historical dimension that has no equal.”

Inside these oak casks are matured unique cognacs that will reveal very special, particular aromas. These exceptional, very limited creations will be available only to a select few.

HENNESSY AT THE ROYAL COURT OF VERSAILLES

By 1786, Les Tablettes Royales de Renommée, a repertoire by Mathurin Roze de Chantoiseau, had cited Hennessy as one of the principal makers of eaux-de-vie in the kingdom.
The archives at Versailles mention the existence of a room dedicated to storing tierçons of eaux-de-vie for the royal court. Hennessy also has documentation of eaux-de-vie deliveries to Antoine de Sartine, Minister of the Navy to King Louis XVI, who resided at Versailles.