TH. Pignon et G. Dubois - Grande Fine Champagne Cognac Année 1878 40% alc by vol 700ml

€2,750.00*

Contents: 0.75 Liter (€3,666.67* / 1 Liter)

Prices incl. VAT §25a UStG. plus shipping costs

1 Available immediately

Product number: JHW-26571

Filling level into neck, label and capsule good.

Product information

Cognac vintage 1878 - A pre-phylloxera testimony

1. Historical and enological significance

The 1878 vintage marks an epochal boundary in the history of Cognac. Several sources unanimously emphasise that these are distillates from the time before the phylloxera catastrophe, which devastated the French wine-growing region of Cognac from the 1880s onwards .

Central importance:

The grapes used come from an ungrafted, phylloxera-free vineyard - so-called "pre-phylloxera" vineyards
These wines represent a genetically and flavour-wise lost terroir condition, as the European vines (Vitis vinifera) later had to be completely grafted onto American rootstocks
One auction house explicitly describes 1878 Cognacs as "historic" and "very rare"

2. Proven houses and bottlings

The search results document at least eight independent bottlings or houses that have commercialised Cognac from the 1878 vintage. These are not different wines, but different bottlings of the same historic distillate by different houses or merchants.

House / bottler	Appellation / Cru	Estimated bottling date	Speciality
Augier Frères	Grande Champagne	ca. 1940s	Oldest cognac house (since 1643)
Rémy Martin	Fine Champagne	ca. 1920s	Global brand, over 40 years of barrel ageing
Hine	(not specified)	Not specified	Royal Warrant Holder
Otard Dupuy	(not specified)	ca. 1930s	-
Château Guérin (Louis Rollin & Cie)	Grande Fine Champagne VSOP	Not specified	Declared as VSOP
Louis Eschenauer & Co.	Cognac Grande Fine Champagne	Not specified	Bordeaux wine merchant
A. Edmond Audry & Cie	(year of foundation)	No bottle	House founded in 1878
Unknown bottler	Fine Champagne	ca. 1930s-40s	No producer on label

Important differentiation: Maison Audry was founded in 1878 , but does not offer a bottle of this vintage on the market; the mention is house-historical, not wine-specific .

3. Bottling characteristics and bottle condition

3.1 Bottling dates and ageing period

A characteristic feature of all 1878 Cognacs is the extremely long barrel maturation:

Earliest documented bottling: 1903 (Christie's)
Most common estimate: 1920s to 1940s
Ageing time: At least 40 to over 60 years in cask

This does not correspond to any current age classification (VS, VSOP, XO), but to historical "Vieux" or "Très Vieux" Cognacs.

3.2 Technical specifications

Alcohol content: Consistent 40% vol. for all bottles with specification
Filling quantity: 70 cl or 75 cl (full bottle)
Fill level: Documented are "mid-shoulder", "base of shoulder", "middle shoulder" - rated as acceptable to good for this age
Colour (only visual indication): "Ambré" (amber) for Eschenauer bottling

3.3 Condition risks

All merchants point out age-related risks:

Corks may be deteriorated
No guarantee for oxidation damage, cork flavour or leaks during transport
Labels are often damaged, faded or heavily marked

4. Market value and auction results

The prices document an exclusive collector's market without mass availability:

Bottling	Auction house	Year	Hammer price	Bidding activity
Hine 1878	Whisky Auctioneer	2021	£2.400	13 bids
Rémy Martin 1878	The Whisky Exchange	active	S$14,889 (approx. €9,800)	Fixed price
Otard Dupuy 1878	The Whisky Exchange	active	S$7,030 (approx. €4,600)	Fixed price
Augier Frères 1878	Whisky Auction	2015	£550	6 bidders
Augier Frères 1878	Whisky.Auction	2025*	£360 (current)	9 bidders
Louis Eschenauer 1878	Fine Spirits Auction	2024	€715	-
Unknown bottler	Whisky Auction	2021	£625	11 bidders

*Note: Auction not yet finalised at the time of data collection

Price drivers:

Brand awareness (Rémy Martin achieves highest prices)
Unique provenance (Hine with Royal Warrant)
Earlier bottling date (Rémy Martin 1920s vs. Augier 1940s/50s)

5. Limits of available information

There is no information available on:

Tasting notes (aroma, flavour, texture, finish)
Point ratings (Parker, Wine Spectator, Burghound, etc.)
Vintage weather (temperatures, rainfall, harvest conditions in 1878 in the Charente)
Grape varieties (which specific varieties dominated before phylloxera)
Distillation method (Charentais or historical method)

All sources are of a commercial nature (auction houses, dealers). There is not a single neutral professional article, no sommelier critique, no specialised wine publication in the results.

6. Conclusion and further information

The 1878 Cognac vintage is not a beverage, but a collector's item. The bottles are:

Archaeological evidence of the history of viticulture before the phylloxera
Tradable investments with prices in the four-digit euro range
Drinkable? Technically yes, but every auction house rejects the warranty; the state of consumption is not documented

For a sensory evaluation or vintage characterisation, this report is conclusively negative. The available sources allow a documentary inventory, but not a simple wine assessment.

Recommendation for further study:

Consult the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC) for historical vintage archives
Research in specialised physical libraries on the history of Cognac in the 19th century
Contact the house archives of Rémy Martin, Hine or Augier (if publicly accessible)

	Alcohol:	40
	Colour:	amber
	Country:	France
	Filling quantity:	750 ml
	Flavour:	dry
	Grape variety:	Ugni Blanc
	Product type:	Spirits
	Region:	Cognac
	Type of wine:	Cognac
	Vintage:	1878
	Producer:	Pignon