Cognac VS, VSOP, XO: The Difference Is Time in Cask
By the WNLQ9.shop sommelier team · Published
Short answer
VS, VSOP and XO are cognac’s age grades. They state the minimum time the brandy, called eau-de-vie, spent in oak: at least 2 years for VS, 4 for VSOP and 10 for XO. The age counts from the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend, not an average. Most cognac blends several ages, so the bottle usually holds older brandy than the label states.
Key facts
- VS
- at least 2 years
- VSOP
- at least 4 years
- Napoléon
- at least 6 years
- XO
- at least 10 years (since April 2018)
- XXO
- at least 14 years
- Main grape
- Ugni Blanc, over 98% of vineyards
Cognac is brandy from the Cognac region
Cognac is grape brandy made inside a legally defined area around the town of Cognac in western France. Brandy made outside it cannot use the name.
The main grape is Ugni Blanc, planted in over 98% of the region’s vineyards. It gives a sharp, low-alcohol wine that is unremarkable on its own but well suited to distilling, because the acidity keeps the aromas fresh.
The wine is distilled twice in copper Charentais pot stills, the alambic charentais. What comes off the still is clear and colourless. The amber colour and the notes of vanilla, dried fruit and spice come later, from the oak.
The cognac age grades
Every grade sets a minimum time in oak. The higher the grade, the longer the wait.
| Grade | Stands for | Minimum time in oak |
|---|---|---|
| VS (or ***) | Very Special | 2 years |
| VSOP | Very Superior Old Pale | 4 years |
| Napoléon | not an abbreviation | 6 years |
| XO | Extra Old | 10 years |
| XXO | Extra Extra Old | 14 years |
The abbreviations are English because Britain was a major market for cognac for centuries, and its trade terms stuck.
VS at 2 years, VSOP at 4
VS is the starting grade, with at least 2 years in cask. It tends to be fresher and fruit-led, with a lighter body.
VSOP needs at least 4 years. The extra time darkens the colour, brings out more wood and vanilla, and softens the feel of the alcohol.
XO at 10 years since 2018
XO needs at least 10 years in oak. The minimum rose from 6 years in April 2018, so an XO bottled before then may legally contain 6-year-old brandy.
The 6-year slot XO used to fill now belongs to Napoléon. XXO was added around the same time, with a 14-year minimum.
Long-aged cognac often develops what Charente cellar masters call rancio: notes of nuts, mushroom and old leather that come only from decades in wood.
The age is set by the youngest eau-de-vie in the bottle
Nearly every cognac blends brandies of different ages and vineyards. The grade on the label reflects the youngest component, not the average.
Take a fictional XO built from 10, 15 and 25-year-old brandies. It can only claim XO, because its youngest part is 10 years old. The rule stops a producer from overstating age.
It also means producers can always use older brandy than the minimum. Some VSOP blends contain spirit well past 4 years. The grade is a floor, not a ceiling.
In three lines
- VS at least 2 years, VSOP 4, XO 10 (since 2018).
- The age counts from the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend, not an average.
- Cognac is double-distilled in copper pot stills, mostly from Ugni Blanc.
Questions people ask
What does VSOP stand for?
Very Superior Old Pale. It is the grade where the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend has spent at least 4 years in oak.
What are Napoléon and XXO?
Both are official age grades. Napoléon requires at least 6 years and sits between VSOP and XO; XXO requires at least 14 years.
Does cognac keep ageing in the bottle?
No. Cognac only changes while it is in wood; once bottled, its age stops. Store bottles upright so the spirit does not sit against the cork.
Read next
Sources
- BNIC (cognac.fr): Cognac grape varieties
- BNIC (cognac.fr): An exceptional spirit (double distillation, oak ageing)
- Wikipedia: Cognac (grades and production)
- Armagnac BNIA (armagnac.fr): Distillation and ageing (spirits stop ageing once bottled)
For education only. For readers aged 20 and over.