Hine of Jarnac, France, has long specialized in selling cognacs made from grapes grown and distilled in the Grande and Petite Champagne regions, with an emphasis on minimal wood impact. A favorite in the English market, Hine developed a reputation for “early-landed, late-bottled” cognacs—single-vintage brandies sent to England for further aging in casks stored in waterside bonded warehouses in Bristol and other cities where low temperatures and high humidity slowed evaporation and created particularly light and fruity spirits. In exceptional years, the house sets aside a few casks of Grande Champagne cognacs to be aged and sold as single vintages.
The house of Hine began after English merchant Thomas Hine sent his sixteen-year-old namesake son to France in 1791 to learn to make cognac. The young Hine met and married the daughter of a cognac négociant named Delamain in 1796 and expanded the business into a major source of bespoke cognacs for English wine merchants. In 1817, it became Thomas Hine & Co. and in 1821 became one of the first houses to ship glass containers of cognac to England, long before bottling had become the norm. In 1962, Hine was appointed official cognac supplier to Queen Elizabeth II of England. As a Royal Warrant holder, Hine may display the royal arms and the legend “by appointment” on products and advertising. Hine also is one of the larger cognac firms still owning significant vineyards, and recently, in response to growing demand for a cocktail-friendly cognac, Eric Forget, Hine’s cellarmaster, collaborated with the French Bartenders Association to create H by HINE. The company is currently owned by the closely held French company EDV SAS.
See also cognac.
Broom, Dave. “Pale Beauties That Thrive in the Dark.” Telegraph, December 15, 2001.
Faith, Nicholas. Cognac. London: Mitchell Beazley, 2005.
By: Jack Robertiello