Hine offers rare 1916 vintage Cognac at auction

Hine has released one of the last remaining bottles of its 1916 vintage Cognac, decorated by artist James Viscardi, for auction, with the proceeds going to a charity that supports disadvantaged youths.

Hine commissioned Viscardi, an American artist and winner of the Hine Painting Prize, to decorate the bespoke, beech wood presentation box and design the label for Hine’s 1916 vintage Cognac in 2011.

A bottle of this very rare limited edition is now being offered for sale at the La Part des Anges 10th anniversary dinner and charity auction, to be held in the grounds of the Cognac Museum in Cognac on 22 September.

Hine’s 1916 vintage was made under the challenging conditions of World War 1, when pesticides and labour were hard to come by. Bernard Hine’s grandfather, David Thomas, together with his grandfather’s cousin, George Thomas, were running the family firm at this time. As most able- bodied men were deployed on the frontline of the Somme, it was the women who were left to tend the vines, harvest the grapes, make the wine, distill the eaux-de-vie and bottle Hine’s cognacs.

This 1916 Hine Grande Champagne Cognac was matured in oak casks for fifty years, when the Hine family believe that their Grande Champagne Cognacs reach optimum maturity. At this time transfer them into glass demi-johns to preserve them in peak condition.

In the 1960’s the remaining contents of Hine’s last cask of 1916 vintage were poured into a five-litre glass demi-john. A few months ago some of the last drops of this precious vintage were bottled by Eric Forget, Hine’s estate manager and cellar master.

He described the character of this rare Cognac as having “hints of currents, iris and white peppers on the nose, a subtle opulence of bitter on marmalade on the palate and a lingering long finish of walnuts”.

The bottle will carry a reserve bid of €7,000, with proceeds from the auction going toward the Apprentices Auteuil Foundation – a local charity which helps disadvantaged young people.