Léopold Croizet Interview

我是 Léopold Croizet，代表酒庄第九代葡萄种植者。我从父亲手中继承，他又从母亲那里继承，如此一代代延续。我们的葡萄园主要位于 Triac-Lautrait，围绕典型的夏朗德农庄分布约 30 公顷。这里位于 Lantin 村中心，靠近 Jarnac，是属于 Fins Bois 的优越土地，并受益于香槟区边缘的黏土石灰质土壤。

您在 Maison Léopold Croizet 的工作是什么？

自 2001 年起，我真正加入了这段家族事业。我是葡萄种植者、蒸馏师与调配师，也向朋友和消费者讲述 Léopold Croizet 干邑。我同样是时间传承中的行动者。时间是干邑生产中必须考虑的核心元素：让时间发挥作用，同时保持主动。

你们最重要的优势与技艺是什么？

首先体现在工作方式上：我们的葡萄园已完全转为有机耕作。我一来到酒庄便启动了这一转型。整个葡萄园都用于我们干邑的生产，这让我能自由决定葡萄园管理方式，以及希望赋予生命之水的方向。我们选择传统耕作方式，以有机肥和较早采收保持良好酸度，酿出优雅而芳香的生命之水。蒸馏在两台 16hl 与 20hl 的小型铜壶蒸馏器中完成，那是我祖母当年安装的设备。我们的蒸馏方法在本地区并不常见，来自我的父亲，而他又从母亲那里继承下来：这是一个家族秘密。

哪些价值观最能使你们区别于其他品牌？

Respect for tradition, values… For several generations my family has provided expertise and know-how in all stages of the production of cognac: from the vine to the blending, including of course the distillation. This mastery allows us to «nurture» and ensure an heritage for future generations. Be visionary, see further and ensure quality of products. My grandfather Marc launched his brand of cognac with his brother just after the second world war. It was a period of reconstruction in the country and we were recovering of several tough years. He was thinking big, he launched his business with some success and even won. I have a lot of anecdotes about my ancestors and it enriches my business vision and also give me motivation to prove myself to be worthy of it.

您如何描述你们干邑的独特性与风格？

Difficult for me to describe my cognacs … I prefer to make them taste, they speak for themselves! As I said earlier, each step is important to make a good cognac. The expertise I carry produces very fruity cognacs, typical of the Fins Bois cru. They are fragrant, round, mellow and easy to drink. This roundness comes mainly from a distillation on the lees. Our spirits then age in French oak barrels whose woods are selected from the best forests in France. This task now falls to my wife, who once worked in cooperage and who has a real passion for the interaction between wood and spirit. The blend of this diversity offers a range of very interesting aromas.