This Cognac from Charles L.98, produced in the Petite Champagne region, the premier cru of Cognac renowned for its fine and elegant eaux-de-vie, is much more than just a spirit. With a natural alcohol content of 52.7%, it embodies the authenticity and power of an exceptional terroir. Distilled from organically grown Ugni Blanc grapes, this L.98 batch was bottled on July 16, 2025, in a limited edition of 648 numbered bottles.
Behind this cognac lies a rich and moving family history, that of the Leroux family, Normans who became Charentais through love of work and necessity. Charles Leroux, born in 1951, is the son of Alexis and Carmen, two survivors of World War II. Alexis, a prisoner in Germany, and Carmen, sent to work by force, returned to France with unwavering determination. They took over a small farm in Normandy, but Alexis' illness forced them to leave everything behind and move to Charente in 1960. It was there, on 13 hectares of land, including 1.5 hectares of vineyards, that their new life began.
Charles, then nine years old, experienced this uprooting as a trial, but also as a life lesson. His father, Alexis, was no novice when it came to distillation: he had already practiced distilling calvados in Normandy. In Charente, he restarted a small 4.5-hectoliter still, heated with wood and coal. The beginnings were modest, but the foundations of a unique expertise were laid.
In 1975, Charles married Monique, and together they took over the family business. The wine crisis hit hard: despite a contract with Rémy Martin, volumes plummeted. Rather than giving up, Charles restarted the still to distill his surplus wines and build up a stock in barrels. In 1981, he invested in a 12-hectoliter still, an atypical straight boiler that gives the eaux-de-vie a unique and recognizable character.
In 1985, Charles and Monique made a bold choice: they committed to converting the entire estate to organic farming, a visionary decision at a time when organic farming was still marginal, even misunderstood. They were not discouraged by ridicule and skepticism. To diversify their income, they grew organic potatoes, mechanized their production, and sold them directly to organic cooperatives and cooperatives.
Their commitment came to fruition in 1998, the vintage year of this cognac, when Charles helped found the Vitibio association alongside a few other pioneers and Jean-Louis Morin from the Chamber of Agriculture. Monique, always by his side, accompanied him on this collective adventure, which marked a turning point for organic cognac in Charente.
Charles L.98 Cognac was distilled in 1998, a symbolic year, and aged with meticulous care from the outset. It is aged in new Limousin oak barrels, with a coarse grain and heavy toasting, which gives it a remarkable aromatic richness. Its woody and spicy notes combine with a deep richness, the signature of a great terroir and artisanal expertise.
This cognac embodies Charles' energy and philosophy of life: a spirit of conquest, a desire to reinvent himself, and an unwavering loyalty to the land. Charles, a cycling enthusiast, sees this sport as a metaphor for his life: "When you stop moving forward, you fall." "* This same determination is found in every drop of this cognac, where effort, perseverance, and passion combine to create a unique sensory experience.
While Charles wanted this cognac to pay tribute to his father Alexis—the man who, out of courage and necessity, moved his family from Normandy to Charente—it also celebrates transmission and heritage. In 2014, their son Thierry took up the family torch. In 2018, a second 15-hectoliter still joined the first, and the vineyard expanded to 25 hectares, still organic and in Petite Champagne.
Bottled in July 2025, this cognac is the fruit of a lifetime of work, passion, and conviction. Each bottle bears witness to the story of a man, a couple, and a family who turned adversity into opportunity and turned their love for the land into a way of life.
