BNIC COGNAC Cognac, Febmuary 15, 2019 Note on the minimum limit for esters in brandies provided by the Malaysian regulations. Cognac, a wine spisit with an Appellation d'Ovigine Contvélée (AOC) ot Geographical Inchcation (GD, is produced in accordance wath traditional practices defined by French national regulations #1 and European segulations™. ‘These regulations set a minimum for volatile substances of 125 g / hL AA (Absolute Alcohcl) ‘These volatile substances correspond to the sum of ethyl acetate and the following parameters volatile acidity, aldehydes and higher alcohols. Ethyl acetate is the major ester of brancies and ‘wine spitits ‘Thus, there is no minimum or maximum limit for estess nos for ethyl acetate ‘The main esters of distilled spisits made from wine (brandies and wine spisits) are in descending order: ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate and ethyl estess of fatty acics. These estess come from different technological osigins. Ethyl acetate alone accounts for 50 to 90% of the esters present in young cognacs ‘Malaysian segulations define brandy as"! 1. «Brandy shall be the sivit prepared by the distillation of wine 2. Brandy © shall contain not less than + 35 per cent volume per volume of aleobol: and + 60 grammes of ster calenlated as ethyl acctate in 100 ites of absolute alcool; © may contain sugar, glucose, glucose syrup or fructose. 3. Brandy may contain permitted flavouring substance and caramel as a colowing substance,» 1 French Decree n® 2015-10 cf 07 January 2015, relative fo appellation d'origine conirSlée « Cognac» D1 French order of 27 July 2003 implementing arfcle 302G of the general fax code os concems Cognac vine spins cond ther ageing, 11 Regulation (EC) n* 11072008 of the European Poriament and of the Council of 15 January 2008, on the definition escrption. presentation, labeling and the protection of geographical indications cfspint ciinks ond repeating ‘Counct Reguation (EEC) No 1576/89. inttasitsq moh gov mybyShrrs/378-brandy?. BUREAU NATIONAL INTERPROFESSIONNEL DU COGNAC 23, Aides Bemard Guonne 0001 (Cognac Cues France TB M0 SEDO Frond ORM aoe caaae FeaA minimum ester limit of 60 g/hL AA (eq, ethyl acetate) is therefore provided for brandis ‘This provision is likely to limit the access to the Malaysian masket for many Cognacs, and in pasticular for the youngest products. As an indication, more than 50% of Cognacs VS. (Very Special) or ##* (3 stats), Cognacs which claim a minimum aging of two years in wood, do not satisfy this condition For new made cognac spitits, high levels of ethyl acetate may be linked to deviations in fesmental yeast metabolism or a microbial alteration of the saw matesial (wine). Thus, for transactions, maximum ethyl acetate values of 50 to 70 g/hL AA (from 350 to 500 mg/L for an alcholic strength of 70 % vol) ase sometimes used as limits to consider the product to be defective (character of acescence, of soumess). The minimum value of 60 g/hL AA contained in the ‘Malaysian regulations does not appear to be consistent with these qualitative limits ‘The other estess (ethyl lactate, fatty acid estets, etc) ate present in wine spisits at lower levels and strongly depend on technical choices that affect the quality of the products (whether or not the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation, distillation of wines vith or without their lees ..) ‘Therefore, these esters cannot, under any circumstances, be used to guarantee a minimum level of estess in Cognac vine spisits ‘Thus, according to their production process and quality specifications, neviy produced Cognac ‘wine spisits may have a quite low ester content. High levels of estess, especially in ethyl acetate, do not constitute a guarantee of quality > On the basis of these observations, we propose for the brandy category : - to remove the minimum limit in esters, or - to lower this limit in esters from 60 ¢/hL AA to 10 g/hL AA. BUREAU NATIONAL INTERPROFESSIONNEL DU COGNAC 23, Alges Berard Guigoet «BP 0001 Cognae Cedex France 485 (4 9500 00+ F439 (OP 45 82 30 £4 conacabne -copnac +