THE ORIGIN OF OUR COGNAC HOUSE
(portrait of Alexandre in Versailles 1785) Alexandre de Terrasson, Marquis of Montleau (1773-1842) a pageboy to King Louis XVI an officer in the Princes Army and MP for Charente
After a marriage in 1695 , the lands of the Andreaux were taken over by the Terrasson de Montleau family, one of whose members, VALENTINE, born in 1870, made a strong impression through her personal investment in the work on the vineyards and her sense for business, to the point that the company’s Eaux-De-Vie, transformed into Cognac by the magic of the still and a double distillation, reinforced the noble name on this site, now the property of the family, with Alexandre de TERRASSON de MONTLEAU, MP for Charente and mayor of the same town in the 1820s. The heirs to the Cognac branch of the Comtes Terrasson de Montleau were still very much present at the close of the 20th century. The origins of Terrasson du Comte de Montleau Cognac can be traced back to the 18th century, when Cognac was still known as “Eaux-De-Vie”. The family wine estate was already very modern for the period, extending over some sixty hectares, with three distilleries and two large wine storage cellars. The first distillery was built in 1743. The brand became the best-seller of the major Cognac houses and was served at all the royal courts of Europe. The Terrasson de Montleau company began to develop its “Eaux-De-Vie De Cognac“ in the early 19th century. During Comte Gerald de Montleau’s father’s lifetime, the remains of the little train, rails and wagons which ran through the vines could still be seen. During the 19th century, journeys to faraway destinations were made by rail. The Cognac barrels were designed with double bottom, so that they could not easily be pierced to extract the precious nectar. At the end of the 19th century, robbers still had no hesitation in attacking freight trains. Terrasson de Montleau Cognac was sold in the most prestigious Parisian hotels, such as the famous Hôtel Continental. Incidentally, in 1883, the Director of this establishment, Mr E. Leguay, described it as “incredibly delicate with delicious flavours infusing it with ever-so rare balance”. In 1885, in Lyon, Henry Terrasson Comte de Montleau was awarded the «Grand Diplôme d’Honneur and Gold Medal», the world’s most prestigious award, for the excellence of his Cognac. Today, the Terrasson Comte Gerald de Montleau Cognac, just like the Cognac made by the present owner’s grandfather, is following the ancestral tradition, producing Cognacs with great finesse and exquisite aromas infused with exceptional charm.
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