Frapin
Frapin is a cognac house that makes cognac exclusively from grapes grown in Grande Champagne, the best-known cru in the Cognac region. The house distills, ages and bottles everything itself, including at Château Fontpinot. From VS to XO, everything is Grande Champagne Premier Grand Cru.
One cru, and a long time in cask
Cognac comes from a defined area around the town of Cognac in western France. This area is divided into six zones, the crus, of which Grande Champagne is the best known. The soil there is rich in limestone, and cognac made from these grapes is known for being refined, floral and slow-maturing: it needs a long time in cask, but benefits greatly from it. The name has nothing to do with champagne wine.
Frapin has vineyards in the heart of Grande Champagne and uses only grapes from that area for its cognacs. That is why the label states Grande Champagne Premier Grand Cru. The house distills its own cognac and ages it in Limousin oak casks, including in damp cellars that make the cognac round and smooth. Notably, Frapin ages its cognacs longer than the regulations require. According to the house, the VS already contains distillate that other houses would use for an XO, while the VSOP far exceeds the minimum age for an XO. Château Fontpinot is the estate where the XO of the same name is distilled, aged and bottled.
In brief
From VS to XO, plus two special bottles
The label shows how long the youngest cognac has spent in cask at a minimum: two years for a VS, four for a VSOP and ten for an XO. Frapin always exceeds these minimums by a wide margin.
Frapin VS 1270
The youngest in the range, but aged longer than usual. Fresh and fruity, and also available in a 35 cl bottle.
Frapin VSOP
Amber-colored Grande Champagne whose aging period is well beyond the XO standard. Also available in a 35 cl bottle and a gift set with glasses.
Frapin Château Fontpinot XO
Distilled, aged, and bottled at the château. Elegant and complex, with flowers such as iris and jasmine and candied fruit, and less oak than you might expect.
Frapin XO
Aged for decades in French oak casks. A mature, complex cognac for quiet moments.
Frapin Cigar Blend
First aged for six months in new Limousin oak casks for tannin and vanilla, then for at least fifteen years in used casks in a humid cellar.
Frapin Cellar Master Edition no. 1
From a single cask, selected by the cellar master. Aged for more than ten years in the humid Chai François Rabelais and bottled without filtration.
The age designations, the six crus, and how cognac is made: read about them on our cognac page.
Flowers, dried fruit, and soft oak
Flowers & fruit
Grande Champagne is known for its floral nose. With Frapin, you smell iris and jasmine, underpinned by dried apricot, raisins, and candied fruit. The older bottles also develop nutty and spicy notes.
Round and refined
Frapin is full-bodied but not heavy on the palate. Long aging makes it smooth, while the oak remains in the background. The Cigar Blend and the Cellar Master Edition are more robust, with more vanilla and tannin.
Long and warm
The finish is long, with fruit, vanilla, and a lightly spicy note. The older the cognac, the longer you continue to taste it.
Flavor profile of Frapin VSOP. The XO and Fontpinot score higher on fruit and complexity, while the Cigar Blend scores higher on oak.
How to drink Frapin
Neat at room temperature is the best way to get to know a Grande Champagne. VS can also be used in a cocktail.
Neat in a tulip glass
Pour 3 to 4 cl into a tulip-shaped tasting glass and let the glass stand for a few minutes. First, smell gently with your nose just above the rim, then take a small sip. Hold the glass by the stem so the cognac does not get too warm.
Tasting glasses →With a drop of water
Especially with the 46.5% Cellar Master Edition, a few drops of cool water help. They lower the alcohol slightly and open up the aroma. It is not necessary with a VSOP or XO, but try it alongside a neat glass.
More about cognac →VS in a cocktail
A VS or VSOP is young enough to mix. Make a Sidecar with it, using triple sec and lemon juice, or serve it over ice with tonic. It is best to drink older bottles neat.
Make a Sidecar →Cocktails with cognac
Classic cognac cocktails come from the era of the great hotel bars. Use a VS or VSOP; XO is too good to mix.
Sidecar
Cognac, triple sec and lemon juice. Tart, dry and elegant.
Brandy Alexander
Cognac with crème de cacao and cream. A dessert in a glass.
French 75
Lemon, sugar and bubbles. With cognac instead of gin, it becomes fuller-bodied.
Hot Toddy
Hot water, honey and lemon. With cognac, a smooth winter warmer.The right glass for cognac
A tulip-shaped tasting glass concentrates the floral aroma of a Grande Champagne better than a large balloon glass. For cognac over ice or in a cocktail, choose a tumbler or a coupe. These are the glasses we recommend ourselves.
Everything you still wanted to know about Frapin
Can't find your question here? Read more about cognac or get in touch.
Everything about cognac →What is Frapin?
What does Grande Champagne mean on a cognac bottle?
What's the difference between VS, VSOP and XO?
How much alcohol is in Frapin cognac?
What's the best way to drink cognac?
Which glass do you use for cognac?
Buy Frapin
Want the bottle at home right away? Order Frapin online from Gall & Gall. Gall & Gall has 10 in stock.
Prices as of October 8, 2026, as provided by Gall & Gall. You can see the current price and stock at Gall & Gall. Glazen.nl receives a small commission if you buy something through these links; you pay nothing extra. No 18, no alcohol.