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The Manoir de Mademoiselle, a timeless witness to the history of Cognac
The Manoir de Mademoiselle is a 19th-century residence tucked away in Segonzac, in the heart of the Grande Champagne, just a few miles from Cognac. Closed for many years, this rare place has weathered time without losing its soul. Here, everything seems to have stayed intact: the rooms, the archives, the objects, the memories. It all looks as though it was preserved with uncommon care.
Henriette Ranson, known as "Mademoiselle," spent her entire life in this home built by her great-grandfather, in the heart of the Grande Champagne, the Premier Cru of Cognac. A direct descendant of the Ferrand family, she was born in 1922 and passed away in 2016 at the age of 95. With no direct heirs, she had wished for this family home to become a place of remembrance.
Through this estate, the memory of Élie Ferrand VIII also comes back to life. A striking and singular figure in the family, he was at once a winegrower, a distiller, and a man of experimentation. In the grounds, a few remnants, a pond, caves, and old traces still hint at a world apart, almost whimsical. Endlessly curious and as drawn to nature as he was to Cognac, he even went so far as to create his own zoo on the estate's land. Inside his office, his notebooks, his objects, and his inventions tell the story of a man you can easily picture as a mad scientist, always chasing new ideas.
The tour unfolds through the archives and the memories of the Manoir, like an intimate immersion in a Cognac House of days gone by.
In that same spirit, the Manoir de Mademoiselle has now become the heart of the Fondation Ferrand. This nonprofit organization, founded by Alexandre Gabriel, founder and Master Blender of Maison Ferrand, is dedicated to research and to preserving the tangible and intangible heritage of Cognac and rum as well. Drawing on more than two centuries of archival material, it funds research and has already published several books on the history of Cognac and its traditional production techniques.
From the vine to the Paradis
The tour begins in the heart of the Manoir de Mademoiselle vineyard, where you discover the grape varieties and the terroir that shape the identity of our Cognacs. With its 150 hectares of vines, the Ferrand vineyard embodies a rare blend of winegrowing heritage and responsible innovation. Here, every plot is a piece of history, a laboratory for experiments, and a sanctuary for biodiversity. Among these plots, the one at the Manoir de Mademoiselle, covering an acre and a half, stands out as a symbol of this philosophy. Surrounded by century-old trees, it is home to three signature grape varieties: Ugni Blanc, the backbone of Cognac blends, along with Colombard and Folle Blanche, two historic varieties that nearly disappeared after the phylloxera crisis.
The journey continues with an immersion in a 19th-century Cognac House: the Manoir de Mademoiselle. Room after room, through the archives and the objects, the story of the Ferrand family unfolds, along with the evolution of Cognac and the ways it has been enjoyed over time.
All along the tour, tastings naturally accompany the discovery, bringing to life a moment, a craft, or an era, helping you gradually understand how Cognac is made while showcasing the creativity of Maison Ferrand.
The tour ends in the Paradis, the secret cellar where some of our House's oldest eaux-de-vie rest. An old Cognac is tasted there as the finishing touch, a more intimate close to this moment out of time. We can't wait to welcome you!
Practical information:
- Tour length: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Times / dates: by reservation only. 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on July 15, 22, 24, and 29, and August 5, 7, 12, and 19
- Pricing: 25€ per adult, free for minors
- Reservations: through the Maison Ferrand website or by phone (+33 5 19 09 02 44)
- Languages offered: French and English (English on request only)
- On-site purchases available (card payment only)
- Not wheelchair accessible
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