The house of DEAU is as fascinating as it is innovative. With a traceable history back to the year of 1685, the family Bru Legaret has long distilled eaux-de-vie. We have had a close relationship with Cognac DEAU for many years now, and much appreciate the family and the story behind this wonderful house.

The Story of DEAU Cognac & Roland Legaret's Return

The estate has been in the same family since generations, since its creation in fact. The wares of this traditional wine making family have historically been purchased by many of the major houses of the region. It is only in recent years though that they began producing Cognac under their own label: DEAU.

Today’s owners, Roland Bru Legaret and his mother, Veronique, took the bold step of creating this new brand. And they’ve done it with sheer aplomb. Combining tradition with pure innovation, they’ve successfully created a label that’s both exquisite quality and contemporary. We’re proud of our special relationship Roland and his team, and to be able to bring their Cognacs to the attention of our global readership.

The Story of DEAU Cognac & Roland Legaret's Return

DEAU Cognac stands for all that we love to promote: Family-run, outstanding craftsmen, creative minds, all of the production process carried out in-house–there’s a lot to love about this brand.

Roland flies the Nest, and Returns

This is truly a family of entrepreneurs. After successfully bringing the brand of DEAU to the attention of the worldwide market, Roland decamped to Switzerland, where he built up the drink and spirit import company Geneve. His goal was to source only the best wines and spirits, and he certainly achieved that.

But his heart remained in Cognac–we’re not surprised! We’re thrilled to report that Roland has returned to work directly in the family business. Max spoke to him to find out what’s in store for this forward thinking Cognac house.

The Reason for the Homecoming

Roland’s first love is, and always will be, Cognac. But, as makes perfect sense, he also has a keen interest in other wines and spirits. Part of his time in Switzerland was spent sourcing other top quality spirits from around the world. This was done with the intention of bringing them to Les Moisans, the DEAU distillery, and using the family’s huge knowledge of wine making and his strong network to create a unique and varied portfolio of white and brown spirits for their international audience.

The Story of DEAU Cognac & Roland Legaret's Return

That’s all that can be said about this venture right now…but watch this space…

Growing the Deau Collection

DEAU Cognacs certainly manage to push the boundaries. But they manage to do it without sacrificing the much-loved Cognac traditions. For instance, DEAU URB’N is a wonderful example of exactly this. It’s a young Cognac–in fact, they were so smart to invent a completely new age category: Extra Young

Believe us when we say that creating a stand out excellent young Cognac is no mean feat. And even when you’ve managed to create the product, you then have the added difficulty of how to market it. After all, most people are hooked on the ‘older is better’ thought process. And whilst this is true in many cases, as Roland says, he’d, “prefer to drink a good VS or VSOP than an average XO”.

The Story of DEAU Cognac & Roland Legaret's Return

Age isn’t everything, and this certainly rings true with DEAU URB’N. The most important aspect of a good Cognac is the blend. And believe us when we say that with this youngster, DEAU has certainly hit the target. Enjoy it neat, as a mixer, or in a cocktail. It works in so many ways. We love it. And we think it will be a real hit, not only amongst the hipsters out there, but with the connoisseur willing to explore new ways in which to enjoy their favorite drink.

DEAU Cognacs have certainly been making their mark in the world of international spirit acclaim, winning awards in many global competitions in the past few years. And it’s not just their remarkable Cognacs, because the presentation and packaging is some of the best you’ll ever come across.

The Story of DEAU Cognac & Roland Legaret's Return

The Chateau Makeover

Le Moisans, the home of DEAU Cognac, is in the tiny hamlet of Sireul, in the heart of the Cognac region. Their vineyards stretch over 30 hectares of Fins Bois terroir, and the estate is home to a large distillery, cellars, bottling plant, and storage facility.

The Story of DEAU Cognac & Roland Legaret's Return

An exciting project that’s underway is the renovation of the Villa. This is the old house where Roland’s grandfather used to live when working at the distillery. Some time after this it became home to the general manager in the 1990s. Since then, it’s been left to become somewhat forgotten.

The Story of DEAU Cognac & Roland Legaret's Return

But this is all set to change with an ambitious renovation project. When finished, the Villa will house a large distillery storage unit, a tasting room, shop, and showroom. Being close to Angouleme and the TGV station, and therefore in easy reach of Paris, Roland is keen to develop the tourist aspect of the brand and encourage visitors to the estate.

The Story of DEAU Cognac & Roland Legaret's Return

Young, Innovative, Traditional

The house also boasts a new Cellar Master, Hakan Pirodo, a young talent of 35 years who trained under his predecessor, Philippe. Philippe hasn’t left for good though, and still brings his expertise to DEAU in a consulting role. Hakan is a great asset. Fluent in English and great with people, he can easily present in both French and English–perfect for this internationally minded brand.

Their sales team is growing, and now includes a Russian speaker to cover marketing in this massively growing Russia and Eastern European Cognac market. Make no mistake, Roland is certainly pulling out all the stops in his marketing efforts.

The Story of DEAU Cognac & Roland Legaret's Return

So there you have it. Roland Legaret is back, and the house is going from strength to strength. DEAU’s range is small, but slowly growing. Their latest offering is a new Cigar Blend, which perfectly complements their inventive and contemporary range. But most importantly, the team at DEAU is always aware of their roots, with the expertise and traditions of the family always firmly at the forefront of what they do.

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Jacki has been with Cognac Expert from virtually the beginning. She's the senior editor of the blog, and has spent much of her life living in rural France. Today she's based back in the UK, where she splits her working life between writing for Cognac Expert and working as a Paramedic at a large regional hospital.

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