Agathe Boinot now crafts Jay-Z Cognacs

hâteau de Cognac, which has been owned since 1992 by the Bacardi group based in Hamilton, in Bermuda, has a new cellarmaster, Agathe Boinot. The Château is steeped in history, with vestiges of King Francis I (and his salamander) and production of the Baron Otard brand dating back to 1792. But it is also a hotbed of innovation with the cutting-edge d’Ussé range, launched from scratch in 2012 with American rapper Jay-Z and his mysterious Cross of Lorraine. In a press statement, the Bacardi group specifies that Agathe Boinot is taking over from Michel Casavecchia, “who retired at the start of the month”, after 31 years at Château de Cognac, including 11 as cellarmaster.

“Developing a new Cognac is every cellarmaster’s dream, and developing d’Ussé has been the honour of my lifetime”, explains Casavecchia in the statement. Although no figures have been revealed, or clarification of the joint stakeholding with Jay-Z, the Cognac has posted strong volume sales growth. Bacardi in fact specifies that “d’Ussé is the fast-growing brand in the category, gaining share over US competitors year-on-year”, based on IWSR data.

Agathe Boinot becomes “the youngest female cellarmaster of the major houses in Cognac”, adds Bacardi. “I will champion representation for women in Cognac, who have played an important but largely invisible role. I aim to bring visibility to our work, inviting more women and younger generations to Cognac’s possibilities in the process”.