New Blogger - Patrick

To expand the blog, keep things moving, and add more diversity to the reviews, Patrick will be joining us on this site. He is Kentucky boy with bourbon roots that has recognized that promise with Cognac (and brandy in general). He's also got a decent palate and good taste in Scotch!

We look forward to his brandy reviews! 

Prunier 1969 Grande Champagne 54.5%

I’m checking out the Prunier vintage-dated 1969 Grande Champagne today. Prunier is a really old negociant, i.e. independent bottler, that's been around since the 1700s. They source cognacs from all regions and seem to be well respected within the cognac community. They have their own aging facilities and even a paradise cellar! I don’t think Prunier currently has distribution in the United States (but I may be wrong); however, they did have distribution in the past and dusty(ish) bottles of Prunier can be found on shelves from time to time. The Prunier range consists of the typical VS, XO et al., a few fancy decanters with uber-aged brandy, and true vintage dated cognac. It’s the last category that I’m interested in.

I’ve noticed that Prunier has a large footprint in Europe - especially the Scandanavian countries - and that a large portion of their bottles land in viking territory. Watching those guys move from opening one vintage dated Prunier to another and so on really piqued my interest. So I conjured up the cash  and splurged on this 1969. It wasn’t cheap by any measure - about $450 to my door - so this was an expensive buy to go in blind. Here’s what I think:

Nose: Neccos candy and menthol...there is a sweet / herbaceous thing going on here...also plenty of eucalyptus, crushed daisy flower petals, coffee grounds, and a slight note of caramel candies.

Palate: it has a nice silky texture...the palate is initially sweet, nutty, and then quickly turns bitter...Roasted almonds, tobacco, and apple juice jump out at me. After that initial wave it becomes a bit spicy, with allspice and cardamom coming to mind. The oak is definitely present and the palate is not incredibly complex.

Finish: decent length...the spices really dominate towards the end.

Grade: B

Final Thoughts: This is a decent cognac. But when we start talking about QPR it’s pretty apparent that it’s not $450 good - not even close. I don’t feel ripped off. Instead, I consider this a “learning experiment." Also, this is a single vintage cognac from a single producer from an independent bottler, one that is (and has been) doing really interesting things with cognac for quite some time. So while I won’t be buying another Prunier 1969, it’s not fair to pass judgement on all Prunier bottlings and I DO think I’ll end up buying other vintage dated Pruniers in the future...probably a few.

Bertrand XO, Heritage, and Ye Olde Schoole

Ryan's Notes



Here's a three part review looking at a lineup of cognacs from Bertrand.  The Bertrand property is located in Petite Champagne where they maintain 82 hectares of land, growing both Ugni Blanc and Colombard grapes to be used in their eaux-de-vie.  Much of their grape production is contracted out to the larger labels, but we are fortunate that the Bertrand brand exists today, and as such we get to enjoy their own cognac expressions, which are produced solely from grapes grown on their propery.

While in France I had the pleasure of sharing dinner with Seph and Thérèse Bertrand, which was special as Justin and I were awaiting the arrival of our Bertrand cask selection and they were a relatively unknown cognac house to me.  Distribution is limited and in the past it's been challenging to find their cognac, even when searching the standard overseas online shops.  My impression upon meeting Seph and Thérèse is that they are two people passionate about their product and brand, and who truly enjoying meeting and interacting with other cognac enthusiasts. They shared their story of hosting some Norwegian enthusiasts at their property and that while tasting cognac straight from the cask they were encouraged by these enthusiasts to bottle a particularly excellent cask of old cognac.  This would be the first time that they had considered the idea of a single cask and cask strength selection.  So they went ahead and bottled it.  That release is the second one reviewed below and was aptly named Heritage as it contains eaux-de-vie produced by Thérèse's grandparents in the 1960s.  A true "heritage" bottling.  The first cognac reviewed is their XO, a part of their core lineup.  A blend of eaux-de-vie aged around 35 years old and bottled at 40%.  The third cognac reviewed is another older eaux-de-vie and similar to the Heritage, a "succession" cognac, meaning it is one of several casks once set aside to age untouched with the intention of being sold off in retirement.  This one is thought to be well over 60+ years old now, possibly 70+ years old, although the exact vintage is unknown.   This was presented to Justin and others in Chicago as a potential cask selection and it instantly impressed the group.   I feel truly lucky that we are able to taste cognacs such as these today which represent the history of a family run house dating back to 1731.




Bertrand XO
Blend of eaux-de-vie around 35 years old
40%

Nose: A nice dynamic nose. Lots of different fruit notes - currants, raisins, guava, orange peel. It shows its age, as well, with some wood varnish and old cabin notes.

Taste: Green apples, cherries, jolly ranchers, almost a sticky sweetness. The sweetness transitions into a slightly more complex and punchier finish that lets us know it's not a young spirit.  Reminiscent of sweet vermouth. Light bitters, walnuts. Very little of the typical oak spice, but rather that sweet astringency we often find in older cognacs.

This is an excellent cognac that hits a lot of the right marks for a producer's core lineup XO. The mouthfeel is a bit light, but it is sweet, complex, layered, and easy to enjoy.  I'm impressed.  I can only hope that we see distribution expand so that this cognac is more readily available in the future.  As always, I would appreciate being able to save a few $$ and purchase the cognac without the fancy decanter. It is a beautiful presentation, though.

B+



Bertrand Heritage
500 bottles
49.2%

Nose: Lots of fresh fruit and honey up front. Caramel, apple cider and lime.  Candied pecans, as well.

Taste: Sweet, jam/stewed type concentrated fruits - grape, asian pear,  cherries and caramel. Mixed in with the fruits there is vanilla pods. More fruit as it transitions on the palate, slightly more towards citrus - sugary lemon and lime.  In the finish there's some notes of wood varnish, sweet tobacco and walnut bitters. A long finish on polished oak and fruit syrups. 

Overall: This is a stunning cognac.  It's all the right things - it's rich, shows multiple layers of sweetness, complexity from the oak comes through.  Would I peg it as a 60+ year old cognac? I'm not sure, probably not... but it's delicious, nonetheless.

A


Bertrand - Ye Olde Schoole
274 bottles
51.5% ABV

Nose: A complex nose. Very nutty - walnuts and almonds. Deep sweetness -  honey and peaches.  A bit floral. Leather, musty cabin full of old library books.

Taste: A lush mouthfeel. Melted spiced chocolate jumps out right away. Fruits now. Sweet and slightly tart. Juicy. Kiwi, grapefruit. This is unique.  Jammy delicate fruits - raspberry, apricots - more milk chocolate, caramel.  It finishes on spiced chocolate.

Overall: This is a luscious rich candy bar cognac.  Like the Heritage, I think it drinks younger than its 60+ years, but it is a gorgeous spirit presenting layers of complex sweetness.  The rich chocolate notes balance out all the fruits and distinguish it from the Heritage, which I find to be a bit more singularly fruit focused.  It is one that impresses me in that it continues to reveal more to me each time I pour another glass.

No grade for this cask selection, but suffice it to say that I like it quite a bit



An excellent trio of cognac!  The XO and Heritage are both available at online stores cognatheque and cognac-expert.