Gaston Briand
The Briand family started growing vines at Domaine de la Voûte in 1850. They sold their young cognacs to the big houses, mainly Hennessy and Rémy Martin. In the 1930s, Gaston Briand started making his own name for himself. He was a true pioneer and one of the first to realise that blending was not necessary for cognacs made from the best grande champagne regions.
He has also served as president of the Charente Winegr/p>owers Association and helped found the BNIC. He also contributed to the important 1909 and 1938 laws aimed at combating fraud.
Gaston accumulated a huge stock of cognacs and these were known for their good quality.
After his dead in 1957, his estate went to three people: his daughter Denise, who married Marcel Raynaud, his brother Jean’s widow and Madame Henriette Bonnaud (probably also a daughter who was married to Robert Bonnaud). These three people established a firm called ‘Indivision Gaston Briand’.
Bottles of Gaston Briand are famous for their handwritten labels.
Many of the bottles still in circulation bear the name Héritage de Madame Gaston Briand.
