Chinese buy Roullet Fransac

Next time you go to Cognac pop into any producer and ask them who is next door and they won’t know, but ask them if they know George Roullet and the answer will either be a look, suggesting you should leave the premises quickly, or a fit of laughter. Roullet Fransac is situated on the quay next to Hennessy in Cognac.  It therefore offers clients visiting Hennessy a chance to browse around the dusty shelves of its premises for an alternative to the sticky, sugary, caramel offerings next door. George would buy his cognacs from local chais in Grande Champagne, including his old family firm in Cherminac. Admittedly, he had some good cognacs but whether George ever knew what was good and what was not so good is debatable but what he did know, even when enjoying his Paris apartment, was a good deal. As the CEO of one famous old house once said, “George is George”. No doubt George did a good deal with the Chinese, he had tried with many others! In all probability the house of Hine, who have just sold the firm to the Nicolas family for circa €50m, will have done a rather different deal; the Nicolas family know what is really good!