Lheraud 1973 for "Legacy Brandy", 48%

Ryan's Notes

 

When I visited France last summer I promised Justin we'd check out Lheraud.  How could I not? It was one of our gateway cognacs... I'm thinking specifically of a 1966 Fins Bois and a 1974 Grande Champagne.  Two cognacs that I think would make a believer out of anybody.  Their vintage selections might be where the glory is, but we shouldn't forget their less expensive but still impressive Charles VII.  Lheraud also puts more attention to detail and aesthetics then any other producer I'm familiar with, and there's certainly a sense of grandeur to their whole presentation, especially with the vintage selections.  Usually this would be a turn off to me, however my experience in drinking Lheraud cognac is that the quality of the vessel is often a reflection of the cognac inside it. This is maybe that rare case where the whole package is a welcome part of the experience, from the giant box, to the hand written letter, to the gorgeous bottle, to the excellent cognac inside of it - and I have to admit, I've become a sucker for it.  With a visit to Lheraud on the books, I was curious at what to expect and I think what we encountered was perhaps partially what I was anticipating.  From their pristine grounds to the immaculate cellars I almost felt like I was walking through a stage set for a cognac house rather than one that is actually functioning.  It wasn't until after the tour was over that I realized we never even saw a still.  That raised the question to me of whether or not they do actually produce their own cognac, although Justin and I have since found some photo evidence to suggest that they do distill.  The tour was unlike any others that I experience on that trip, mainly because it felt like we were being shown the "bottle" instead of the "cognac".  At any rate, we finally sat down for a tasting through their core range.  It was at this point that I suggested the idea to our tour guide that perhaps a group of us enthusiasts here in the states might select a cask to have bottle especially for us.  There was excitement at the idea and I was sent home with a few vintage samples.  Two of them were fantastic, and one of them was a clear stand out, a 1973 Grande Champagne.  We've since had a portion of this cask bottled for Legacy Brandy at 46 years of age and 48% abv. Tasting notes are below.

Pristine cellars full of very old cognac dating back to the 1800s

Pristine cellars full of very old cognac dating back to the 1800s

calligraphy station for handwritten notes inside each box

Lheraud
1973 Grande Champagne
Bottled for "Legacy Brandy" on Feb 24, 2020
48%

Nose: Honey, raspberries, pecans, fresh citrus, tobacco leaves.

Taste: Immediate fruit sweetness with a thick honey viscousness that fully coats the tongue. Mixed berry jam - blueberry, strawberry, raspberry. Ripe apples dipped in honey.  Candied orange.  An almost cotton candy like sweetness.  Transitions towards wood varnish, tobacco, cedar, white pepper, szechuan.  There's a second wave of fruit - more towards tropical - passion fruit.

Some spirits take time to unfold their flavors and leave an impression, but this cognac makes its mark immediately with punchy rich fruit sugars and a mouthfeel that coats the tongue and sits heavy for its 48%.  The influences of the oak are prominent but not even close to overbearing. We're at 46 years of age at the time of bottling, but I'm fairly certain that the sample we tasted to choose this cask was a bit younger.  I've got to wonder how much longer this could have gone in the oak. It seems like it could've taken on another 20 years.  On the other hand, it's rather perfect just how it is now. 

Jacques Estève "Excellence" 43%

Ryan's Notes



Jacques Estève is a 6th generation producer with 49 hectares located in Celles, in the Petite Champagne region. In fact the back label on this bottle indicates that the family has been growing grapes in the region since 1800.  A long tradition.  This is Petite Champagne eaux-de-vie and was aged in 350 liter casks.  This particular release is a 1992 vintage, although due to the laws around being able to put a vintage on the label, they decided to just name this release "Excellence" and let the brandy speak for itself.  Bottled at 43%.  This particular bottle arrived in 2017, so about 25 years old, and they have been bottling it by hand to order.   I learned on my recent trip to Cognac that the Jacques Estève brand will be coming to an end with the current generation of ownership, as the next generation plans to sell their remaining casks in bulk.  That is sad news for us as we face the loss of another small cognac house. 

Nose: A nose that is slightly dominated by oak - mainly some pungent spice and sawdust. Mixed in are some hints of peaches, plums, and honey.

Taste: There is some grape jam immediately on the palate. After the initial sweetness there's a slightly drying oak presence that comes through the palate.  Still balanced by some sweetness, though. Spiced honey comes to mind. A lot of ginger and pepper.  Overlaying the oak and spice are those light touches of stone fruits, as in the nose. Mainly plums, peaches, and nectarines. A little bit of chocolate and a light pecan nuttiness towards the back.  The aromatic spices come through again in the finish, but what actually lingers beyond that are the fruit sugars.

Overall:  It's a very nice cognac and like many of the cognacs we seek out, the quality is without question, high.  Being critical for a moment, it's still a touch light at 43% and the fruits and oak spice seem to be a bit in contention with each other. It also lacks a bit of character to separate it from the pack. On the other hand, it's very enjoyable to drink, only costs $75 at Astor Wines and that makes this a great cognac with a decent proof to have on the shelf. 

B

1994 Fanny Fougerat (Through the Grapevine), 52.8%

Ryan's Notes




Quick thanks to Justin for keeping things going while I battled an epic head cold that just didn’t want to go away.

This is a review of a 1994 vintage cognac coming from Fanny Fougerat.  It was bottled by the La Maison Du Whisky label - Through the Grapevine - which highlights single cask, cask strength, vintage cognac from small producers.  We’ve reviewed some of these TtG releases in the past. There have been some true gems in there (Lot 87 Remi Landier (A-), ‘71 Francois Voyer (A) ). After Master of Malt discontinued shipping to the US, these bottles became even more difficult to obtain.  Recently, a handful of TtG bottles were brought into the US market, thanks to the work of Kate Perry, who is the North American Market Manager for LMDW & Velier.

So, who is Fanny Fougerat? Like so many of the small houses, they only sold their cognac to the big labels for many years. It was only in 2013 that they first began releasing cognac under the Fanny Fougerat label.  Their production is split between two regions - Fins Bois and Borderies with 30 hectares of Ugni Blanc vines.  All of their cognac is distilled on site. From what I’ve gathered they bottle their cognac without additives, and their official bottlings range in proof from the traditional 40% up to a more respectable 44%.

This particular cognac is from their Borderies grapes (some really wonderful fresh fruit-forward cognac has been produced in this region - I’m thinking of the 1974 Giboin (A-) ).

The details:

Producer: Fanny Fougerat
Distilled: 1994
Region: Borderies
ABV: 52.8%

The tasting notes:

Nose: Honey, floral, heavy on walnuts, some caramel, sawdust 

Taste: There’s an initial hit of juicy sweetness. Loads of citrus and green apple. Also bittersweet cocoa, caramel. Brown sugar. The mouthfeel is thick and even slightly sticky. More tart fruit. tangerines, grapefruit, and sticky candied apples.   Lots of thick sugars in this cognac. 

Finish: A slightly medicinal twist on the finish with wood polish, propolis, echinacea. I like this. It starts off very traditional and ends with a more challenging set of flavors.  There is enough lingering sweetness with the layered complexity that continues to invite you to take another sip.

Thoughts:  This is a cognac I keep coming back around to and continues to reveal more layers with each visit. I’m a fan and hope there is more to taste from Fanny Fougerat. Are some of these small houses a one stop show never to be seen again? I hope note. No regrets on this purchase. It was around $150 at K&L.

B+/A-, but let's say a strong B+

Lhéraud 1974/2018 Grande Champagne 49% - 44 years old

Ryan's Notes

Ryan's Review

Well, here we have another Lhéraud. A continually impressive house, both in their stunning vintage bottles, as well as the excellent XO Charles VII blend. Price on these vintage selectiosn is high, but so far the quality has continued to match the price. When Justin shared the 1974 vintage he had open I was a big fan and so decided to seek out another '74. This one was bottled just in February of this year, making it about 44 years old. Bottled at 49%.

Nose: Immediately rich nose, almost port-like. We have honey and plums. There's some heavier notes of tobacco and coffee. Old books and a little bit of polished oak.

Taste: Quite like the nose. Peaches and plums. Blueberry. Sweet citrus. Cream. Moves into a heavy coffee liqueur. Thick wildflower honey seems to coat the whole palate.

Finish: Delicate herbal bitters - propolis stands out. Bee pollen. A resinous quality to the flavors, it's almost medicinal. But, this is good, it's very good. Smoked spices. Orange zest. Some wood polish.  Nectar-like sweetness lingers throughout the finish.

This is an impeccable spirit. Great balance of sweetness and all those complex herb and spice notes.  I'm showing my bias here, but I just love when an old spirit is able to showcase the cask without becoming astringent and woody.  Some of these older cognacs do it very well. Lively on the palate, and the finish is a highlight. It is not tired by any stretch, and tastes as if it could have spent another 40 years in the cask. 


A