A COGNAC FAMILY

Since 1830

2 cognac properties reunited thanks to Anne-Marie and Michel’s wedding in 1953; Anne-Marie from l’Hermitage; Michel from Apremont.

The Lambert family has been owner of land after the French Revolution in 1789 when lands were divided among the peasants living in the area.

The Giboin family, master-distillers in South-Charente, heavily hit by the phylloxera crisis in 1870.

Origin

LAMBERT - GIBOIN families

Cognac-histoire-producteur
Reflection of the farming world

Constructions in l’Hermitage and Apremont reflect the changes occured in the French agriculture through generations. From crop-livestock farming, French agriculture has slowly moved to selected monoculture.

In l’Hermitage, haylofts are still full of hay collected years ago to breed livestock. Hay has now thermal insulation purpose.

In Apremont, the dovecote and the barns are relics of the ancestral ways of farming, which have slowly ceased because there are less and less farmers and E.U. politics encouraged higher yields, which are not compatible with mixed farming. Agriculture tends to go backwards nowadays.

Learn more about our vineyards

L'Hermitage

In 1870, phylloxera wrecked European vineyards. L’Hermitage, thanks to its dark clay soil was miraculously saved. The insect could not reach the vine roots. Pierre Lambert sold his eaux-de-vie at a very high price so he could build the ‘Charentaise’ house, where Théophile still lives. Pierre’s sons, Léopold and Camille followed their father’s work. Anne-Marie and her husband Michel launched the ‘Giboin’ brand in the 1960’s, which François and his wife Brigitte made grow. Théophile and Pierre-Louis are now the 7th generation.

Apremont

South-Charente and Dordogne used to be large wine-making regions before the phylloxera changed the game. The Giboin family used to work as distillers and traders in eau-de-vie in Champagne-Fontaine and Blanzaguet, where there are no vines left now. Apremont house and surrounding constructions were built more than 2 centuries ago on the top of a hill. The Bouvier brothers used to be traders in eau-de-vie there, just like the Giboins. Marie-Thérèse Bouvier and Rémi Giboin’s wedding in 1925 reunited 2 families of distillers-traders.
Since 7 générations