Distillerie Tessendier & Fils
Grape growers, producers of Cognac and innovative spirits
“Time is of the essence for creating high-quality spirits” (Jérôme Tessendier)
The Tessendier & Fils Distillery, established in 1880, is a family-run business based in Cognac and Jarnac, on the banks of the Charente, which produces a diverse portfolio of high-quality Cognacs (see Cognac Park) with a modern twist. The heirs, Jérôme and Lilian Tessendier, have succeeded in modernising the family business in the face of the international dimension of the market: first by creating their own brand of Cognac, then by drawing on their ancestral savoir-faire to refine other types of spirits. This knowledge was forged over time, improved from generation to generation and is now shared by the Tessendier Distillery through three Cognac series (Park, Campagnère, Grand Breuil), each with its own unique character, its own history.
To cater to the needs of an international clientele, often with very different tastes and cultural approaches, the company has constantly rejuvenated and expanded its range. This is exemplified by the new ageing process in mizunara oak casks (a very rare and high quality Japanese oak) for their Park Cognac and the most recent Mr Gaston Gin.
For some years now the brothers have been using their know-how to its best advantage to blend their own rum and to partially age it in Cognac casks. They have created the Saison Rum line, which embodies the art of blending of Jérôme and Lilian Tessendier. The cellar master created the rum in four key stages from the search for terroirs to the finishing touches: origins, ageing, blending and finishing. Each of these stages follows the previous one, like the four seasons. This innovative, sequenced approach produces the rum known as Saison.
The distillates are carefully selected from 3 different terroirs on the Caribbean islands of Barbados, Trinidad and Jamaica. The master blender’s intention is to showcase the typicality of these areas of origin by utilising the warmth and specific hygrometry of the Caribbean islands to give the future rum a unique oxidation, accelerate the ageing process and concentrate the aromas.
The aged rums are then blended by master blender Jérôme Tessendier and left to rest for several months on the banks of the Charente in mature French oak casks that used to contain Cognac. No sugar or caramel colouring is added to their rum.
And who is Mr Gaston?
In 1880, Gaston Tessendier, a maths teacher, became a weekend winemaker at his estate “le Buisson”, in Javrezac, in the Borderies region of Charente. Despite the strenuous work in the vineyard, he never regretted his whimsical hobby. With MR GASTON GIN Jérôme Tessendier, inspired by his origins in Charente and his expertise in the world of spirits, continues to provide innovative and original creations for connoisseurs.
The Mr Gaston Gin range is made from French wheat and botanicals that are 100% organic. Special attention is paid to gins aged in mizunara oak and sherry casks. They delight and surprise with unexpected flavours.
Spirits from Distillerie Tessendier & Fils
from Distillerie Tessendier & Fils
Producer
Fattoria Nicodemi / Fam. Nicodemi
Between the deep blue of the Adriatic Sea to the east and the snowy peaks of the Gran Sasso to the west you find the rolling and charming landscape of Abruzzo. On a hilltop lies the pretty village of Notaresco and not far from it the winery of Elena and Alessandro Nicodemi.
Castello del Terriccio
Castello del Terriccio is one of the largest agricultural estates in Tuscany (Province of Pisa) with its own microclimate. The approximately 1700 hectares extend from the northern end of the Maremma to the Tyrrhenian Sea. The vineyards enjoy a south-southwest exposure with the warming and luminous effect of the sea. The Mediterranean maquis and the eucalyptus trees growing all around it not only protect the grapes from the wind, but also imbue them with the scents and aromas that give the wines of the Terriccio their distinctive flavour.
Domaine des Pères de l'Eglise
In 1933, the winegrowers and wine merchants of Châteauneuf-du-Pape were the first to impose quality rules relating to the cultivation and production of wines that would bear the name Châteauneuf-du-Pape. The geographic definition of the cultivation area, along with the other regulations, is still in force today, in order to guarantee the wine quality for connoisseurs. The Gradassi family of the Domaine des Pères de l’Église is following the tradition, but with the fresh impetus provided by the young fourth generation.