David Meil et Maurice Pinard

"In 1907 my grandfather, Maurice, the vineyard owner whose first name I proudly bear, won an award at the Bordeaux International Maritime Exhibition for the superiority of his eaux de vie.

Building on that unique ancestral know-how in selecting and ageing eaux de vie, my father, René, developed the distilling activity, increasing the number of stills from four in 1929 to five in 1950.

This recognised distillation expertise allowed me to increase the number of stills to 10 in 1980 and 14 in 1989. In a century of activity, we have distilled, aged and acquired from our special vintners fabulous eaux de vie... an incredible legacy.

To share these treasures, in 1986 we decided, with four passionate friends, to create LES ANTIQUAIRES DU COGNAC and offer rare cognacs over 40 years old. Each is made from a single cru, in tribute to the fabulous terroir of Cognac.

The time has come for me to pass this outstanding legacy on to the fourth generation. My son Eric Pinard is continuing the distillation activity and I have chosen my nephew, David Meil, to lead the destiny of LES ANTIQUAIRES DU COGNAC."

Maurice PINARD

bois ordinairesbois ordinairesbois ordinairesbois ordinairesbois ordinairesbois ordinairesbois ordinairesbons boisbons boisfins boisfins boisfins boisborderiespetite champagnepetite champagnegrande champagne
  • Grande Champagne
  • Petite Champagne
  • Borderies
  • Fins Bois
  • Bons Bois
  • Bois Ordinaires
Bons Bois
The Bons Bois cru accounts for 9,300ha of the vines intended for producing white Cognac wines. The eaux-de-vie they produce age quickly.
Bois Ordinaires
The Bois à terroir or Bois Ordinaires "cru" makes up less than 1,100ha of the vines intended for producing white Cognac wines. The resulting eaux-de-vie have the same features as the Bons Bois, but with a characteristic terroir flavour.
Fins Bois
Fins Bois surrounds the three previous crus and is covered by 31,200ha of vines destined for cognac. They produce round, supple eaux-de-vie that age rather fast and have a bouquet recalling the pressed grape.
Petite Champagne
Petite Champagne is covered by over 15,200ha of vines that yield white wines destined for the production of cognac eau-de-vie. They have more or less the same characteristics as those of Grande Champagne.
Grande Champagne
Over 13,200ha of vines used to make white wines for the production of cognac cover Grande Champagne, which gives birth to very fine, very light eaux-de-vie with a bouquet dominated by floral notes. They require a long period of ageing in oak casks to reach their peak maturity. The word champagne (champaigne in Old French) comes from the Latin campania, which means countryside or open field
(as opposed to woodland).
Borderies
This is the smallest of the six crus. Its 4,000ha of vineyards given over to cognac produce round, soft eaux-de-vie with a nice bouquet characterised by the fragrance of violet. They have the reputation of reaching their peak after a shorter maturation time than eaux-de-vie from “Champagne”.
The vineyard dedicated
to producing cognac
covers approximately 75,000 hectares.
The region is divided into six crus.
ATLANTIQUE OCEAN
The award Maurice Pinard received at the 1907 Bordeaux
International Maritime Exhibition for the superiority of his eaux de vie
Building on its unique ancestral know-how
in making eaux de vie, today the Distillerie Pinard
has 14 stills
The Bureau Interprofessionnel du Cognac
seals our vintage cognacs' casks
allowing us to have total traceability
and proof of the vintages.
The vintage expert
from the Bureau National Interprofessionnel
continuously monitors every handling of the vintage cognacs.
He keeps watch over the opening of the seals
and the handling and affixes new seals before leaving
These treasures are stored in our cellars or storehouses approved by the French government.
Receipts proving that they are kept there are given to us.
Like in haute couture, each bottle is sealed
and trimmed by hand with an intricately woven raw cord
that holds the label
Each label is calligraphied
The date that the cognac is bottled by hand is on the label
Each bottle is carefully
prepared and packaged
in a magnificent solid oak box
Les Antiquaires du Cognac,
which can be found in the most distinguished hotels and restaurants,
is partnered with the Société Nationale des Meilleurs Ouvriers de France