Paul Giraud "Tres Rare" 40%

Ryan's Notes

When we arrived in Cognac our first house visit was to Paul Giraud.  I was previously unfamiliar with Paul-Jean's cognac, and it was with Amy Pasquet's guidance that we took a visit to what I learned is actually the best selling cognac label in Japan. The grapes for their cognac are grown solely in the Grande Champagne region on 35 hectares of land and the Giraud domaine is located in Bouteville.  Paul Giraud is one of the bigger names in the Cognac region, despite being a relatively small producer. Furthermore, they've been in the game for awhile, since the 1600s.  A family tradition passed down from father to son, the current owner Paul-Jean Giraud has been leading the ship since 1976.  He doesn’t add additives and claims to not add water through the aging process. To his younger cognacs he will dilute down before bottling to 40%, but states that by the time his cognac aging in his humid cellars has reached 25 years of age they have already naturally reduced down to 40%.  (This last point definitely raises some questions based on some of the much higher proofs we commonly see with cask strength releases of similar ages from other cognac houses.)  We tasted through a flight of his cognac releases.  High quality all around, but I was particularly impressed by a 1999 vintage release and his Tres Rare (40 year old blend of late 60s cognac).  Tasting notes can be found below for the Tres Rare.

Water from a natural spring being routed through one of the cellars to increase humidity for increased alcohol evaporation.

 

 

***Tasting Notes***

 

Paul Giraud "Tres Rare"
40%


40 year blend of Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie

Nose: Very well rounded nose - Honey, apples, pears, persimmon, walnuts, sweet tobacco, cedar

Taste: Lush and sweet with tons of dried fruits. Plums, peaches, persimmon, figs.  Following there is cinnamon oil, cedar and grapefruit peel. Lingering with the spices is sugared grapefruit.

It's a touch light in body, but it has an excellent mouthfeel and is rich in flavor.  I find it to be pretty immaculate on the palate.   A cognac for cognac drinkers.

A-


(The Tres Rare can be found stateside at Astor Wines for $230)

A visit to Pasquet and a spread of cognac

Ryan's Notes


Let's continue on our trip through France. So far we've had a trip to Navarre and dinner with the owners of Bertrand. There are some other cognac houses we visited that we will talk about at some point, but at the heart of this visit to Cognac was our stay with Amy and Jean Pasquet.  They were our hosts, our translators, our navigators, and our tour guide all in one.  Aside from the pleasure of spending time with them and their family, we did tour their property and cellar.

Things I learned:

• The Pasquets are growing their grapes using entirely organic methods, trying to do their part to be environmentally conscious in an area riddled with pesticide use.  
• Jean's father still assists in distillation each season.
• There will be a 100% Folle Blanche Pasquet produced release in the future, which really highlights the difference in flavor profile from an Ugni Blanc cognac.
• Having had the opportunity to taste several different eaux-de-vie side-by-side, two of which were from the very same grape harvest, it is amazing just how much of a skill and art it is to produce a quality distillate and how different the eaux-de-vie tastes in a side-by-side tasting.  
• Transparency is important to the Pasquets. On each bottle label there is a code. At the most left is LXX which designates the year of distillation and this is followed by a date on the right which signifies when it was bottled.
• You can pretty much count the amount of producers in the region that don't have contracts with one of the three big labels on two hands. Pasquet is one of them. 
• Amy and Jean's relationship building, exposure for small producers, and work as non-contracted growers is important work for the integrity and future of cognac. 

The most memorable moment of the entire trip? It might be in the photo below. I think it was at this moment where Jean was pouring some of their Tres Vielle Reserve from their 3rd and final cask to be bottled. It struck home to me just how lucky and fortunate we were to be drinking any cognac, let alone one passed down from the previous generation that was so old its actual age is unknown.  A spirit that depends on the success of so many variables from quality oak casks, to methodical distilling methods, to the most important of all, a good harvest.  It struck home how it all comes back to the grapes.  While tasting through the Pasquet's core range I asked Amy if there were plans to set casks aside for older stock and to start expanding past the 10 year range (a very good youthful and fresh cognac, by the way).  I am going to paraphrase here, but the answer was very plan and simple: No, they can't.  They produce from what they grow and there just isn't enough to expand beyond the demand of the current lineup (the upside to this is the motivation for the L'esprit de Famille label and traveling to private cellars to find the hidden gems that would otherwise end up in a Hennesy or Martell blend).  Another point to take away is that there is a distillation season. Brandy isn't like the whiskey world where distillation goes on pretty much year round, pumping out hundreds of thousands of barrels worth of commodity crop distillate.  In the brandy world, eaux-de-vie distillation is only as productive as the harvest that precedes it.  So yea, this stuff is special.

Pasquet vines

Tasting Notes

I'm going to go through some notes on a handful of releases here. The majority of these are cognacs coming from different small producers throughout the region that have been uncovered by Amy and Jean and released through the Pasquet label.  Again, we're fortunate to have transparency here. The L'esprit de Famille line, if it is news to you, is all about transparency and sharing the stories of small cognac producers and how these unique spirits ended up in our bottle.  We'll finish with the most recent Tres Vielle Reserve. The last remaining cask of "old" Pasquet produced cognac.  A real treat.

L'Esprit de Famille "Le Cognac de Bernadette" 
44.8%

1974 vintage

Nose: Peach and strawberry, caramel, sweet bubble gum

Taste: Strawberry, cream, honey, and then slightly medicinal - cherry halls lozenges.
Finish: is a bit farmhousy, a bit musty, a bit medicinal.

I find this one to be different and interesting in a great way. Not just interesting, though. Also very good.

B+

 L'Esprit de Famille "Le Cognac de Jean" 
49.6%

"a blend of 1969 and 1977 eau-de-vie from Jean Biais"

Nose: A relatively light nose. menthol, floral notes, citrus - tangerine, a denser sweetness - buckwheat honey
Taste: Grapey, obvious - but there it is. Milk chocolate. Honey. Berries. Citrus Zest. Syrupy mouthfeel.
Finish: Slightly mushroomy, musty. Like walking through an old dank cellar. Syrupy cherry notes. There is some bite on the back of the tongue as the oak comes through.

A cognac with heavy flavors that almost brings you to the dark cellar I imagine it rested in for so many years. Justin mentioned it as rustic to me, and that resonates. Another one that falls in the interesting category. It's a counterpart to the freshness that we sometimes get with cognacs of this age.

B+

"Jean" 1995 / cask selection for T5C and friends
50.3%

A younger cognac from the same producer, Jean Biais. This was a cask that Justin, myself, and a few others selected and at the time of tasting there was one note that stood out to me - chocolate. 

1995

Nose:  caramel, nuts - peanuts, pecans, spiced chocolate,
Taste:  Chocolate pudding, figs, raisins. Caramel.   In the finish we have Mexican melting chocolate, cinnamon sugar.  Some more sweetness from those figs.

This is a rich candy bar cognac.  Buckets of chocolate. No sharp edges to this one.  It has a soft and lush mouthfeel and dark sugars that make you wonder whether to keep drinking it from the glass or just to pour it over a bowl of vanilla ice cream. 

No grade

1973 L'esprit de Famille "Le Cognac de Andrè"  / cask selection for Aficionados   
50.3%

A cognac that when bought was originally resting in a large format cask. Upon purchase was split into two smaller casks. The first of which is being bottled for the upcoming L'esprit de Famille release. A portion of the other cask went to the online spirit group "Aficionados". 

Nose: Dense and deep oak aroma.  Some chocolate  and caramel. Figs. Earthier notes of leather.
Taste: Just as dense as the nose suggest. Dark fruit sugars up front. Cherry, figs. Followed by passion fruit. Some chocolate sauce in here, too. Followed by warming spices - ginger, white pepper, and I swear a slight hint of chipotle.
Finish. A strong transition from sweet to umami. A slight funk, musty oak. Slightly overripe fruit. This is all good, though.  It works.

This is big cognac. Far from typical with plenty of depth and layers of flavors. Both sweet and savory represented here. Well done all around.

A-

1992 cask selection for Aficionados
61.4%

All I know about this particular cask is that it comes from a small producer whose last name is Brisson and has cellars in both Petite Champagne and Fins Bois.  This particular release comes from Petite Champagne.


Nose: Standard dark fruits - plums and raisins, brown sugar and pungent oak

Taste: Very heavy on the brown sugar. Chocolate covered fruits - raisins, currants, plums.  A nice tartness there.  Towards the finish there is some slightly rough oak spice.  Also some light notes of wood polish and bitter walnut.  There's a sharpness on the finish that lingers with all of that brown sugar.

This is downright sugary and there's also a certain roughness to it that almost makes me think of cask strength bourbon.  It's easy for me to see how this will be a hit with some. I don't find it very complex, but it's an enjoyable cognac that leans more towards the heavy sugars. 

B

Tres Vielle Reserve (#3 / 2019)
44%

From Amy - "the TVR is age unknown cognac (found by JLP in 1970 marked as “tres Vieux cognac” or very old Cognac) and 1972 and 1974. "

Nose: It is amazing how a cognac so old can smell so fresh. We have lots of tropical fruits here.  Mango, kiwi, passionfruit.  Candied citrus peel.  Cherries.  Fragrant oak.
Taste: This is immediately juicy. Tart citrus - navel and blood orange. Also mango and kiwi. Mouthfeel is slightly syrupy coating the tongue with these fresh fruits. Towards the finish there is some lightly drying oak. Crystallized ginger.  Citrus peel.
Finish: A long finish.

A stunningly fruity, age defying and knockout cognac.

A
 

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.

Navarre "Souvenir Impérial", 40%

Ryan's Notes



On a recent trip to France I was fortunate to have been able to visit the cognac house of Jacky Navarre.  Justin has previously written about a favorite of both of ours, Navarre's Vielle Reserve. It is a fantastic old cognac at a higher proof and is one of the better cognacs I've had the pleasure to own and drink.  I was excited to see their domaine which was a really beautiful property. The house on the label is the very one you see when you enter their driveway. Like many of the other domaines I had the pleasure of visiting their production is quite small, as is their operation. One still. Bed for sleeping in while tending the distillation still present despite no longer relying on steady coals through the night.  They have a long history of producing cognac that dates back to the 1800s.  They have a warehouse full of old stock dating back 50, 60 years.  No additives in their cognac.  I learned recently that they used to only have the single Vielle Rerserve as their one and only release.  A 35 year old blend, but 35 years here is the average age, so we've got some older stock in there. Jacky Navarre's motto at the time was "I'd rather do one thing well, than many things poorly".  Today they have three offerings.  The Vielle Reserve. A younger 20 year blend named Cravache d'Or, which I found to be just OK. Interestingly, unlike the two other offerings which have both spent more time in oak, this one is a bit too heavy on the oak and spice for my tastes.  Lastly, Souvenir Impérial, a 50 year blend, again that is the average age. This is a newer release from them and it is naturally reduced down to 40%.

 On to the tasting...  Navarre Souvenir Impérial, 40%

Nose: Very aromatic, perfumey. If perfumes are made of tropical fruits and exotic woods. Papaya, mango, honey'd apples, ginger, sandalwood. Just slightly drying.

Taste:  Immediately fruity. Papaya, passion fruit. Lots of guava.  A touch of eucaplytpus mixed in. Fresh and lively.

Finish: More sandalwood and other exotic wood flavors. Walnut oil. An earthy umami note. Lingering oak sweetness.

This, to me, is well-aged Grande Champagne at its best. This reminds me of some of those excellent Grande Champagnes we've tasted from Vallein Tercinier and Lhéraud.  Utterly fruity, but layered and complex through the finish.  This is a touch light in body due to its 40%, but very rich in flavor.  That's what we get with these cognacs that have naturally reduced over time.  The body isn't dead in the water. For sure, light. But, what it lacks in mouthfeel it makes up for in its fullness of flavor.  And I relate this almost to the difference of drinking espresso versus a pour over filter coffee.  At the expense of body and mouthfeel, the precision and patience of a very good filter coffee often offers an impressive array of clarity and flavor.  I think that's what we have here with a cognac like the Souveir Imperial. Another excellent offering from Navarre and deserves a spot on the shelf next to the Vielle Reserve.  This isn't yet available in online stores anywhere, but will be released sometime soon.  I paid around $100 for my bottle at Navarre, but expect it to be well north of $200 after being imported to the states.  This bottle is worth the plunge, but I think we will see it pop up at a much more attractive price sometime soon over at online store, Premier Grand Crus.

strong A-

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