Jacques Hardy 1777 Grande Champagne Cognac Bottled 1936, Re-corked 1967 70cl

A bottle of 1777 Grande Champagne Cognac from the personal collection of Jacques Hardy. This Cognac was distilled in 1777 by the Yvon family of the La Vie estate and was gifted to Jacques Hardy's uncle, James, on the occasion of his wedding. It was bottled in July 1936 after 100 years in oak casks, and re-corked in August 1967. The strength is stated on the label as 'around 30°'.

This bottle comes with a certificate telling the story of the Collection Personnelle de Jacques Hardy, and of this vintage, which reads (translated from French):

'This was a gift from my uncle James to his nephews Jacques, Philippe and Frances. This venerable Cognac was given to him at his wedding by the Yvon family, he married one of the daughters from this family. The family distilled this Cognac at Domaine de La Vie which is located in Grande Champagne area.

With an inestimable value, it was left in oak barrels for 100 odd years before being bottled by my ancestor in 1938 [the correct bottling year is stated on the label as 1936].

This is a rare piece that came from a Domaine that still exists today, and the delicate eau-de-vie from this Domaine has a good reputation in the Grande Champagne are.

Despite its importance, in your glass, this Cognac will show its aroma of a smooth bouquet and of the blossoms of vine flower in June in Charente.'

Jacques Hardy was managing director of Hardy Cognac from the late 1950s until his retirement in 1999. During this time, he sourced old demi-johns from local growers and stored them in his personal cellar.

This Jacques Hardy 1777 Grande Champagne Cognac sold at our online auction for £40,500