Mathilde Thorin visits Haromex: Grande Champagne, family spirit, and authentic craftsmanship.

Mathilde Thorin visits Haromex – Families, Cognac, and Time

There are days when routine and passion touch – moments that stay with you because they make something tangible that we often overlook in everyday life: the meaning of time, patience and trust. When Mathilde Thorin, the fourth generation of the Thorin family, visited us in Brüggen, it was exactly one of those days. She brought no marketing pitch, no slides, no overblown staging. She brought an attitude. One that you can only develop if you grew up in a family business that has been working with earth, wood and fire for over 140 years.

For us at Haromex, this was not a first encounter. We already represent the house of Claude Thorin exclusively in Germany. But this visit was more than a business appointment – it was a conversation between two families who share the same foundation: independence, reliability, and the conviction that good products only come about when they are made out of genuine conviction. This shared ground was palpable even before the first glass was poured.

Mathilde Thorin spoke calmly, almost thoughtfully, when she talked about her work. Her words carried the composure of someone who knows that the best things take time. She spoke of the vines around Segonzac, of the changing of the seasons, of the scent of wet earth after a summer rain. Of a terroir so special that the French call it the Premier Cru de Cognac : the Grande Champagne.

To understand Cognac, you have to understand the Grande Champagne. This area – around 34,000 hectares, with Segonzac as its geographic center – is the heart of the entire region. Here, an exceptional soil shapes the quality of the wine: a fine, chalky structure interwoven with fossilized shell layers that formed millions of years ago, when an ancient sea once covered this land. This pale limestone retains moisture like a sponge, reflects sunlight and ensures even ripening of the grapes. It is porous enough to absorb rainwater, yet dense enough to release it slowly. For the vines, that means: no stress, no excess, only balance.

The wines grown here are not spectacular – at least not in the classic sense. They are light, acid-driven and delicately aromatic. But that is exactly what makes them ideal for distillation. A Cognac from the Grande Champagne requires patience. In their youth, its eaux-de-vie are almost restrained, sometimes austere. Yet over decades they develop aromas of dried fruit, honey, vanilla and that characteristic nutty depth that connoisseurs call Rancio Charentais – that rare interplay of wood, nuts and wax that only emerges in humid cellars over a long span of time.

Claude Thorin works exclusively with grapes from this region. That was never a marketing decision, but a conviction. Even the founder, Pierre Thorin, knew about the finesse of these soils. When his grandson André Thorin renewed the vineyard land in the 1950s, alongside the robust Ugni Blanc – today the most important Cognac grape variety – he also replanted Folle Blanche . This old, delicate variety had almost gone extinct after the phylloxera catastrophe devastated the region in the 19th century. Folle Blanche is difficult to cultivate: susceptible to fungal disease, thin-skinned, small-berried. But once distilled, it produces a finesse and aromatic intensity that no other wine achieves. Its floral character – violets, linden blossom, white peaches – gives the eaux-de-vie a subtle, almost ethereal note.

Today the Thorin family cultivates both varieties: Ugni Blanc for structure and longevity, Folle Blanche for elegance and depth. The result is Cognacs that are equally stable and delicate – a style that convinces quietly rather than loudly.

The work begins every year in autumn. After the harvest, the grapes are pressed and the must ferments spontaneously – without added sugar, without sulfur, without intervention. The goal is not a perfect drinking wine, but a base wine with fresh acidity and low alcohol content, usually around 8–9% by volume. These wines form the foundation for the later distillation.

In winter, as the nights turn cooler, distillation begins. At Claude Thorin there are two traditional Charentais pot stills, made of copper, each with a capacity of around 25 hectoliters. Distillation happens in two stages: first the "brouillis" is produced – a raw distillate at around 30% alcohol by volume –, then follows the second distillation, la bonne chauffe. Only the middle portion of the distillate, the so-called heart, is kept for further use. The first and last fractions are cut away, as they would be too harsh or too heavy.

What makes Thorin special is that they distill on the lees . This means the wine is not filtered before it goes into the still. The fine yeast cells caramelize slightly when heated and lend complex, toasty notes – bread, nuts, a light creaminess. This technique requires experience: heated too strongly, the lees burn; too weak, and the distillate stays flat. Getting the balance right is craftsmanship, not chance.

After distillation, the fresh eau-de-vie – crystal clear and still fiery – is filled into barrels made of French Limousin oak. The wood from this region is coarse-grained and rich in tannins. It releases tannins first, later vanillin and sweet woody aromas. In the first year, new barrels are used to build structure; after that, older barrels to slow the development down.

In the family's cool, dark cellars, the real magic then begins. Year after year, around two percent of the alcohol evaporates – la part des anges, the angels' share. What remains is a slowly concentrating liquid whose color shifts from pale gold to deep amber. The texture grows softer, the aromas rounder. The scent of the cellar is unmistakable: wood, fruit, moisture, a hint of wax.

After years – sometimes decades – the individual barrels are tasted and blended together. This requires experience, sensory skill and memory. Every cellar master keeps a record of each barrel's aromas: fruit, wood, spice, strength, length. From this diversity, the family composes its ranges: VSOP, XO, XO Royal, VR, Extra. These are not standardized recipes, but finely tuned balancing acts.

Mathilde Thorin spoke about it as if it were self-evident: "Our goal is not to taste the same every year, but to rediscover our style every year." This style is defined by balance – fruit, vanilla, spice, length. No Cognac at Thorin is dominated by wood; none feels overworked. Everything stays harmonious, unhurried, almost quiet.

When we tasted together afterward, this philosophy became clear. The VSOP opened the tasting – soft, round, with notes of dried apricot, a touch of honey and vanilla. A Cognac that is easily approachable yet still has structure. The XO showed more depth: darker fruit, delicate spice, a touch of tobacco, a hint of rancio. Its texture was creamy, the balance nearly perfect. The XO Royal , finally, was an experience of layers – candied orange, hazelnut, delicate oak, a finish that lingered for minutes. No alcohol burned, nothing disturbed. Only warmth, length and clarity.

Then we moved on to another specialty of the house – the Pineau des Charentes, which Claude Thorin produces in two variations: the pale Sélection and the red Rubis. For many outside France, Pineau is still something of a secret. It is a fortified wine created when fresh grape must is blended with young Cognac and then aged in oak barrels. The result: a drink somewhere between wine and spirit, at about 17% alcohol, fruity, sweet and lively. At Claude Thorin, Pineau is not a byproduct, but a discipline of its own.

The Sélection showed pale fruit – pear, peach, white blossom – with a pleasant freshness. Perfect as an aperitif or in cocktails like the French Spritz. The Rubis , by contrast, presented red fruit, a touch of cherry and blackcurrant, with a delicate herbal note – ideal chilled on warm days. Mathilde told us that in France, Pineau is often a family drink, served at celebrations or alongside cheese. It was lovely to see how much passion and care goes into these wines as well.

Between glasses, Mathilde spoke about the history of her house. Her great-grandfather Pierre Thorin laid the foundation in 1879, her grandfather André rebuilt the vineyards after the Second World War, her father Claude installed the first stills in the 1970s and founded the family's own brand in 1995. In 2004 he took over the historic estate in Segonzac – a property that had previously been home to generations of cellar masters. In 2021, Mathilde and her sister Elise Thorin returned to complete the fourth generation. A story of continuity, shaped by patience, but also by courage.

This calm and reliability are qualities we know well. Haromex, too, is a family business – founded with the goal of distributing authentic spirits from around the world. Over the years we have grown, opened up markets, accompanied brands, told stories. But what has always excited us most are people like the Thorin family: producers who live their craft, who carry responsibility and think long-term.

Partnerships like this are rare. They are not built on contracts, but on trust. On the knowledge that you speak the same language, even if it sounds different. When Mathilde spoke about the timing of the harvest, the tension of the first distillation, or the moment you open an old barrel, it felt as though she were speaking about exactly what drives us too: a passion for what is genuine, what endures.

Over the course of the day, it became clear that the philosophies of Claude Thorin and Haromex almost mirror one another. Both houses are independent. Both focus on long-term quality, not short-term trends. Both believe that origin and integrity are non-negotiable. In an industry where so much has become interchangeable, these are values that carry weight.

We also talked about the future of Cognac in Germany. The market is changing: younger consumers are once again interested in origin and craftsmanship, in honest products with a story. At the same time, restaurateurs and specialist retailers are looking for brands that are reliable – not interchangeable, but authentic. That is exactly where we see the potential of Claude Thorin. A family business that gets by without big advertising campaigns, because the product speaks for itself.

Cognac is not a drink for haste. It is the opposite of fast-paced living. Every bottle tells a story of time: of the chalk country of the Grande Champagne, of the winter fire beneath the still, of the quiet years in the cellar. You cannot speed up this time, you can only respect it. And perhaps that is the greatest luxury a glass of Cognac offers – the experience of patience.

As the day drew to a close with us, the sun hung low. The last glasses glowed amber in the light. It had grown quieter, calmer, the way it does after a good conversation that still lingers. No one spoke of marketing or sales figures. It was only about taste, feeling, and the knowledge that craftsmanship and character complement one another.

There are many kilometers between Segonzac and Brüggen, but only a few differences in mindset. Both families know what it means to carry responsibility, to protect quality, and to remain authentic while doing so. Perhaps that is the true core of such partnerships: not the business side, but what is shared.

We are proud to represent the house of Claude Thorin in Germany. Not because it is a brand, but because it is a story – one that continues with every bottle that is opened, and with every glass in which you can taste time.

And perhaps that is what connects us most: the belief that good things take time – and that they deserve that time.

Did you know that Pineau des Charentes also makes a wonderful base for light cocktails?

Mathilde Thorin swears by the French Spritz:
6 cl Pineau des Charentes Sélection, 6 cl Prosecco, 3 cl sparkling water – plus a slice of lemon or orange.
Stir once, sit back, enjoy.
A piece of Grande Champagne in the glass – uncomplicated, fresh and honest.