Michel Forgeron is another relative newcomer in the cognac community. Michel began with 2 hectares of vineyards on the family farm in 1960 and as of 2007 expanded to 24 hectares. They sold their first cognac in 1977. Again, young isn't always bad. Sometimes young can mean adapting to higher standards and demands from the consumers. Perhaps that means unadulterated and undiluted? Yup, this one was bottled at a whopping 59%. It sounds like they are also trying to take a more environmentally friendly approach towards their production, installing solar panels, using less chemical pesticides, reusing rainwater, etc. Those are ideals I can get behind. Anyway, this cognac is a single vintage blend of eaux-de-vie from the Grande Champagne region. It was released in 2015 making this blend around 25 years of age.
Nose: Not an immediately fragrant nose. Some earthy notes - clay, cement. Indistinct spice of the oak variety. Faint vanilla.
Taste: More going on in the palate, but not a whole lot more. An earthy gravel note. Some vanilla and bitter chocolate. Some sugary citrus peel. It's fair to assume that maybe it needs some water to open up, although I wouldn't say this drinks very hot. Yep, water opens it up a bit. We're pulling out more of those juicier fruits now, still of the citrus variety. It transitions into a dull earthiness and we're also highlighting some more oak astringency towards the finish now.
Finish: Some mildly bitter oak notes and rough pepper spice are all that's left after the sweetness fades.
Overall: This isn't an offensive cognac, but it's entirely uninspiring, as well. Water helps, but it doesn't bring all the parts together.
C+
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