Jacques Hardy 1914 Grande Champagne Cognac First Bottled 1986, Re-bottled 2002 75cl / 41.7%

A bottle of 1914 Exceptionnellement Vieux Grande Champagne Cognac from the personal collection of Jacques Hardy. This comes in a 75cl hand-blown bottle sealed with wax and is presented in a wooden case.

This was first bottled in 1986 and rebottled in 2002 for a private collector. This is bottle number 3 of 38.

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):

'My father, Armand Hardy, who fought in the war of 1914-1918, remembered this year very well. And when I was a child, he was already comparing his life and a lot of other things with those before 1914 in his conversations.

For me, this year stayed as a landmark year in history. During my visits to the winemakers, where I found this vintage Cognac, after tasting and appreciating it, I have bought a small lot for my personal collection.

Like me, you will appreciate its elegance and its finesse. Old local winegrowers confirmed this judgment: “those 1914s, there is nothing better”.

I hope that you will confirm my opinion after you taste it.'

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 1914 Grande Champagne Cognac sold at our online auction for £4,900