Cognac buzz

Signature Martell Experience by Alexandre Mazzia at Chåteau du Chanteloup (Cognac)

GETAWAYS • Charente

It’s not every day that one finds themselves tasting cocktails by cool-kid mixologist Remy Savage alongside a menu conceived by renowned chef Alexandre Mazzia, in a 19th-century Anglo-Normand castle no less. But on this day, I did. And I learned the hard way that although a cognac pairing suggests uninhibited sipping; similar to wine, it sneaks up on you. By the end of a meal with a dizzying number of courses — artful creations like seared Breton scallops, smoked cauliflower, and barbecued corn with Espelette pepper — I was solidly drunk. When in Cognac, I suppose.