White wine is distilled to make eau-de-vie. For thousands of years, the distillation process has been used to extract aromas from herbs and flowers. In the Middle-Ages, the first fermented liquids were distilled to create potions that were supposed to cure the sick.
The distillation method for the eau-de-vie used for making the 1719 Cognacs has remained unchanged since the 17th century. It consists of boiling the wine to separate its various components according to their volatility.

The vapors are cooled down and condensed into eau-de-vie. The wine is distilled twice in a special Charentais pot-still that enables the Master Cellar to keep only the nicest aromas and scents, which are going to make up the eau-de-vie bouquet.