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.