Vallein-Tercinier "Lot 90" and "Lot 70" for Flask, T5C, and Ryan

Ryan's Notes



Two Vallein-Tercinier selections brought to the states

Just to echo Justin, this was the clear choice for us when we tasted through the samples.  After tasting it that first time over a year ago, my memory of it became more an impression than any true recollection of what it tasted like.  Thrilled to finally be able to open a bottle and dive in.  The Lot 90, was my second favorite of the samples, but very different than the others. At the time of tasting I was completely set on the Lot 70, but now having a bottle in front of me I'm so glad that this one was picked up by Flask Fine Wine.

Lot 70, Petite Champagne, 52% (Selection for Flask, T5C, and Ryan)

Nose: Caramel, dense stewed fruits - peaches, berries. Leather bound books, walnuts, tobacco leaves. Fragrant oak. Eucalyptus.

Taste:  Lots of juicy fruits right up front. Ripe and syrupy. Blueberries, raspberries. Cream. Tastes like sweet berry pie. Also stone fruits - peaches. A heavy wave of wood polish, dried leather, linseed oil. Pleasantly drying.  There are some hints of brighter fruits. Papaya. 

Finish: Intense on the walnut oil. Black tea tannins. Spiced fruits. 

Overall: Layers upon layers.  This is, to me, an example of excellent oak influence over 45+ years.  The heavier oak flavors fill out the richer fruits on the palate, but it's still showing a freshness that is amazing for its age.  There's also a dryness and pungency, but it's pleasing and not overpowering.  I think it’s an outstanding spirit.



Lot 90, Grande Champagne, 49.7% (Selection for Flask)

Nose: Fruit forward. Apples and pears. Honey glazed. Lightly spiced. Apple cider. There's some gentle smoke there, as well.

Taste:  More orchard fruits. Apples, pears. But also some tropical fruits. Guava, papaya. Sweet and jammy. Wildflower honey. Melted spiced chocolate. Slightly malty.

Finish: More spiced fruits, mild oak tannins. Candied ginger.

Overall: It’s youthful in the best way possible. Falls just a touch short in the slight finish, but we're nitpicking. This is a delicious cognac.  

Vallein Tercinier “Lot 70” Petite Champagne 52% for Flask, T5C, and Ryan

I’m going to preface this review with saying that I helped set up this pick and I’m inherently biased. Instead of giving it a grade, I'll just say that it’s a great cognac and I wouldn’t be upset if I bought one at retail (Flask has some available).

On to the review…

Vallein Tercinier is a grower / producer and their business goes all the back to the 1850s with George Vallein, who created and sold cognac blends. The family and company history is outlined on their website (link below) and worth a read. Today, Robert Tercinier handles the production side of cognac production and Catherine Roudier-Tercinier along with her husband, Stephane Roudier, handle the commercial side of the brand. Vallein Tercinier is located in Grande Champagne but produces cognac from other regions and I suspect they source some of the grapes from various vineyards (however they may own vineyards in different regions, too).

Unfortunately, the United States is limited when it comes to unadulterated, cask strength cognac. When I reached out to Stephane from Vallein Tercinier, I was ecstatic when he agreed to work with us. Stephane sent us several delicious samples and the Lot 70 was a clear standout (I will say the Lot 90 was pretty fantastic, too). While Vallein Tercinier uses the term “Lot,” it really refers to the vintage year (see my “Vintage” blog post), so the Lot 70 was distilled in 1970. Let that sink in…this is a 48 year cognac. Incredible. The Lot 70 is unchill-filtered, uncolored, and unadulterated. Pure, raw, 48 year old cognac...

Nose: brown sugar, apricots, and oak, oh my…some cigar box, too.

Palate: milk chocolate, tea and dried tobacco leaves wash over the palate, then I get apricots, blackberries, under-ripe raspberries, flower stems, walnut oil and some light trop fruit notes…some oak but far from over-oaked.

Finish: nice length with the fruit notes slowly tapering off last.

Thoughts
I love this – it’s a conversion cognac for spirits geeks who have always shunned or ignored brandy. I think if we saw more cognac like this in the States, its popularity would explode. The bottle has definitely evolved with a little airtime and I look forward to seeing where it takes me.           

https://www.cognac-tercinier.com/en/domaine-des-forges-en/500-years-of-history

1979 L'encantada Domaine Les Bidets 38 years old, 48.3%

Ryan's Notes




1979 L'encantada Domaine Les Bidets 38 years old, 48.3%

Another L'encantada, another domaine.  A 1979 vintage armagnac bottled at 48.3%.  I don't know much about Les Bidets, other than that I believe we are looking at a small grower of Baco vineyards in Arthez-d'Armagnac who has their armagnac produced by a traveling distiller.  So, 100% baco here. Unfiltered and cask-strength, of course.  There has been a number of vintage casks released over recent years by L'encantada, but this does seem to be one of the older ones.


Nose: The nose immediately reveals its age. Tobacco leaves, dirt, hint of burnt wood, under all the dark oaky flavors there are some syrupy sugars and thick stewed fruits - cherries, plums. 

Taste: The first thing that hits me is a deep richness. Dark honey with a medicinal kick.  Cherry cough syrup.  Both thick and heavy on the palate.

Finish: Warm spice, ginger stands out.  Gentian and some other pleasantly astringent herbal notes.  Dry oak, a touch of varnish, just bordering on woody. The finish is long with dark sugars and dry oak.

With water: The nose reveals much of the same, but on the palate it swims well! Right away there is more sweetness. The dark honey sugars aren't overtaken as quickly and the fruit has more of a presence.  Less medicinal, not that I mind it. The cherries are still there, but now there are plums, and hints of citrus. Caramel and chocolate. Nuts. This is, in fact, quite a different experience.

At cask strength the denser oak notes remind me of some of those old rye whiskies - think Hirsch 22, BMH 23.  Of course, it's still undeniably brandy.  I imagine some will absolutely love this one at strength.  With water, we see it open up and reveal a bit more sweetness.  My preference is towards the latter, but this is the beauty of getting a spirit bottled at natural strength. Choose your own adventure.  $215 at Astor Wines.

B+

Brillet Tres Rare "Heritage" Grande Champagne 45% Brut de Frut

Brillet is a small family-owned grower/producer located in Grande Champagne. Their vineyard is 150 acres and the property runs into the Petite Champagne growing region. They have been around since the 1600s and that is about it. Their website says “a refreshed website is coming” and has a picture of their estate (which looks gorgeous by the way). I wonder how long the refresh has been in the works, and given the patience of cognac producers, how long are we going to have to wait?

I found the Heritage for a little over $250 online so I gathered a couple friends and we did a bottle split. A 50-year-old cognac at (or near cask strength) for $250sh – sign me up! A few commercial reviewers gave the Heritage a little love…Paul Pacult gave it 5 stars…Wine Enthusiast gave it a 96-100pts and said it smelled of marzipan and tasted like dark caramel, vanilla, butter, and cream. I love marzipan, dark caramel, vanilla, butter, and cream! What could go wrong?

So on to the review…

Nose: musty oak, salt water taffy, blackberry jam, and some faint floral notes in the background

Taste: rich and dark, the caramel is definitely there but not intense, sweet crème, fudge, candied pecans, some of that dark chocolate bitterness, and some light earthen-like qualities (think leather but I really hate saying leather cause who eats leather?)

Finish: beautifully long

Thoughts
It’s good. I might have to snag one or two for the bunker. I used a Lheraud I gave an A minus for benchmarking and comparison. I slightly preferred the palate for the Lheraud but the finish on the Brillet is fantastic…and both are great overall. With that in mind, I’ll give this an…

Grade: A minus

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

L'Encantada Domaine "Le Freche" 1988 29 Year 52%

L’Encantada is sprawling right now, both in geographical distribution and producers bottled. Here’s a 29 year “Le Freche” that was bottled for Lincoln Road in Mississippi (great store and owner by the way). The label has the word "Domaine" before Le Freche – from my understanding Le Freche is an area located in the Armagnac region (wiki calls it a “commune” which is analogous to a township or municipality). SKU’s old site shows multiple producers producing in the “Le Freche” area (link below), so I guess when L’Encantada puts “Le Freche” on the bottle it could come from any one of several sources.

On to the review…

Nose: unmistakably Armagnac…ripe grapes and oak…hazelnut, cherry, and some baking spices

Palate: oak, caramel, grapes, and raisins…a little effervescent and cherry cola-like...then some light pink grapefruit and white chocolate in the background

Finish: great finish with great length…just lingers for minutes.

Thoughts

This is fantastic Armagnac. Everyone gets caught up with the Pibous, but I like this more than most of the Pibous I’ve had. It has one foot in bourbon and the other foot in heavily-sherried scotch (like a Glendronach single cask). Like I said before, it’s unmistakably Armagnac but I also feel like this one has mass appeal. Great job with this one L’Encantada (and Lincoln Road). This is an easy…

Grade: A minus

http://recenteats.blogspot.com/2016/01/armagnac-producers.html

Lheraud 1975 Petite Champagne 47% ~30 year

Here’s a 1975 Lheraud from Petite Champagne. It may seem like I am prone to hyperbole when it comes Lheraud, but I don’t think its hyperbole by any measure. Lheraud is some of, if not “the” best cognac producer. Arguably, of course. But I wouldn’t want to be the person arguing against Lheraud – it’d be like arguing the Beatles weren’t the greatest rock band of the 20th century. I'm all ears...

This guy is bottled at a respectable 47% and was bottled in 2005, so its around ~30 years old. I found it a while back with a cache of other older Lherauds that were lost in distro for years.

My notes

Nose: caramel, crème brulee, toasted marshmallow, figs, and a little chamomile tea in the background

Palate: silky, fat distillate where the crème brulee from the nose translates…It’s a little oaky but not over the top. There are also notes of brown sugar, (good) olive oil, raisins, and walnuts

Finish: nice medium length, not over or underwhelming.

Thoughts
Great stuff as usual. It doesn’t beat the 74 Lheraud from Grande Champagne but it’s still great cognac. If you are looking for a more rich, decadent profile cognac, Lheraud is your man.

Grade: A minus