Winegrowers in Saintonge for more than two centuries, the Merlet family installed their first still around 1850, to distil and produce Cognac. Over the generations, they refined their know-how and produced unique eaux-de-vie characteristic of the Saintonge terroir. From the alchemy of the copper in the still to that of the oak in the barrels, they combined time to allow their eaux-de-vie to blossom into harmonious Cognacs. The Cassis plantation in the 1970s was the first diversification of the local wine-growing region. The birth of Crème de Cassis de Saintonge Boisée made it possible to develop a complete range of fruit crèmes, which are famous today.