La Lettre de La Cagouille de Gérard Allemandou

Version Française

A-propos

The Amateur's tasting sessions

The Internet site on which you read my articles opened their first amateur's tasting session at Karina's in Sigogne. Three of the Les Antiquaires du Cognac vintages; Fins Bois, Borderies and Grande Champagne were tasted. I wasn't tasting myself, finding it more interesting to have an outsider's opinion.

Looking through the files giving gradings of value, 14 out of 19, a certain homogeneity comes out.

The tasters have appreciated the Fins Bois, 20/40 on average, they favored even more the Borderies, 25/40 and particularly enjoyed the Grande Champagne 30/40. It seems the Fins Bois was penalized for its aggressive side, the nose of the Borderies was well appreciated and the Grande Champagne won all the way and was considered of great quality.

Being very familiar with these products, I found the tasters a bit shy in their gradings. Would it be better to have them try a standard type of XO brand as a fourth test in order to use it as a reference? I thought the Grande Champagne would have been graded 36, the Borderies 32 and the Fins Bois 28. Yet, we must take into account that the tasting session took place during the summer when the heat is not a good ally to taste Cognacs, the alcohol comes through too strongly, it is more present since eaux-de-vie reduce with maturity. The English and the French languages were used during the session. This is due to the fact that people from various nationalities were present.

In the English language three words come back regularly: "smooth, gentle and sweet". Our English speaking friends seem to be in favor of the soft and polished aspects of the product. In the French language a wider range of vocabulary is used, but the word vanilla was suggested 9 times, while rancio was used only twice. None of these three rather old Cognacs have taste of vanilla, but they offer various types of rancio. It seems most tasters are confused between two aromas.

The first edition was a great success. Such an initiative can only help in knowing and therefore appreciating the product.

Early landed

Cognac has always encouraged privileged relationships with our neighbors from across the Channel. This is the origin of a peculiarity that would not be accepted nowadays by those who rule the Cognac world.

Indeed, tradition allows Cognacs to be exported to London in bulk (in casks that is), and to let them mature in "chais" on the banks of the Thames River. This is all controlled by the Customs Department and the Cognacs are bottled with a vintage label! Of course, the Bureau National du Cognac (BNIC) have been refusing to do this for the past 40 years. This is the reason why you can find in the best London cellars and in some shopping centers Cognacs coming from well rounded companies such as Hine, Delamain and Prunier at a very reasonable price... they are vintage and of excellent quality. Actually, London climate is emphasized by the nearness of the river, and the preserving conditions are particularly damp and quickly smoothen Cognac. This endangers a suave roundness the English language defines as "smooth". This is the specificity of these Cognacs called "Early Landed", which means they arrived at a young age.

Coup de Coeur - Dégustation

Cognac Paul Giraud Très Rare Grande Champagne

Its color is a shinning sunflower yellow, it is airy and transparent. This Grande Champagne from Bouteville is very seducing just by its looks.

The first nose rises immediately with refinement. It elegantly mixes a penetrating and complex rancio with acacia and honey aromas, confirming its good stock. It insists and blooms with time, as a guarantee of maturity and quality. Each second brings new aromas, they move, they change. It is a spider web lace of subtle fruit, supple and smooth, and as a preliminary to the extreme quality of Grande Champagne, even though it has not reached the climax of its maturity yet.

It reminds me of a fabulous Early Landed from the Thames, a 1948 Grande Champagne by Hine, bottled by Berry and Brothers.

The mouths rediscovers the fine flavors of rancio and honey, the light and tender fruit that fills the mouth and fades away. The peacock tail has not appeared yet as it is a sign of deep maturity. But there is a full presence, light and enveloping, so specific to the beginning of maturity. The balance is almost perfect in this Cognac, superb for the nose. It is pleasant, full in the mouth, a real great Grande Champagne.

I wish one day Paul Giraud will offer us a Cognac of the same breed but a few years older!

Cognac Paul Giraud Très Rare Grande Champagne

Château de Beaulon Extra Vieux

This patchwork of golden ocre with deep brown variations predicts heavy nose in this Cognac. It is polished with a touch of aggressiveness, almost heavy. The melting guarantees a confirmed maturity with stout rancio enlightened by a touch of bee wax and candied fig. The stressed tang of its soil is determined and closer to Bon Bois than Fins Bois. The mouth confirms the nose, it is round, fat, heavy, certainly old but not too rustic.It has no faults, yet its strong temper emphasizing the less seducing characters of the vineyard penalizes this Cognac.

Château de Beaulon Extra Vieux

A. E. Dor Napoleon

This blend by the Dor Company confused me with its surprising yet almost seducing incoherence. the nose feels a discreet rancio, intelligently toned down. It pierces with difficulty through the aromas of cooked cocoa and mainly tastes burnt. As time flows by, it gets stronger then disappears, always covered with this intense burnt taste; then it smoothes down and loses its intensity. The mouth is round, sugary, slightly aggressive, watery at one point. The taste is light rancio mixed with suave fruit. a few faults are harmless to this heterogeneous but rather pleasant blend. a surprising but friendly Cognac.

A. E. Dor Napoleon

Denis Charpentier XO Grande Champagne

For a vine grower, blending and even more reducing an XO is a very delicate operation. And the rule goes for this XO. Its nose lets a light and fine rancio come through, a discreet fruit veiled by a too strong biting touch. The reduction has scraped away the undeniable qualities of the initial product. the rising is slowed down, the aromas have faded down. Nevertheless, time allows the fruit and the fine honey rancio to gain strength. the breed and the elegance of Grande Champagne come out. The mouth is soft, no aggressiveness, the nose flavors come back. We feel this Cognac must have been a good Grande Champagne in the beginning.

No disappointment from this product, except the reduction could have been more successful.

Denis Charpentier XO Grande Champagne

Cognac Paul Giraud Les Montendres, 16120 Bouteville

Phone: (+33) 05 45 97 03 93 Fax: (+33) 05 45 97 54 82

Château de Beaulon 17240 Saint Dizant du Gua

Phone: (+33) 05 46 49 96 13 Fax: (+33) 05 46 49 94 96

A.E. Dor 4 rue Jacques Moreau, 16200 Jarnac

Phone: (+33) 05 45 36 88 68 Fax: (+33) 05 45 36 88 66

Cognac Charpentier 59 avenue Théphile Gautier 75016 Paris

Phone: (+33) 01 45 27 86 07 Fax: (+33) 01 42 24 85 48