The three main criteria for determining quality in a cognac are:
1. The growing area
2. The distillation
3. The ageing
Officially established by the French Government in 1909 and in 1938 the growing areas in the Cognac region are as follows:
The areas of principal interest in quality cognacs are Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne. On a label, the designation Grande Champagne denotes that the cognacs inside the bottle are 100% from the Grande Champagne, the Premier Grand Cru area.
The Grande Champagne area takes its name from the Campanian chalk soil. The area is very rich in this beneficial chalk soil which is very like the chalk soil in the Champagne wine producing area of France.
Fine Champagne is a blend of Grande Champagne and Petit Champagne which has to contain at least 50% Grande Champagne.
Most cognac brands have 80-90% cognac from other less expensive areas in their blends and add only 10-20%
Grande Champagne to the blend to give character to the blend. Grande Champagne cognac is often 2-3 times more
expensive than the other areas.
KELT is one of very few cognac brands who have exclusively Grande Champagne cognacs in their blends. | 
