March 15, 2015

Malternatives on Sunday,
one petit sac de cognac

I know that was Frenglish at best, but I just can’t resist cheap rhymes.

D’Aumagne ‘VSOP’ (40%, OB, Louis Royer for Diners Club, Fins Bois, +/-2013)

D’Aumagne is the name of the distillery. Fins Bois are usually fillers in Cognac, more or less like grain whisky in Scotland, but there are great ‘single’ Fins Bois, let’s hope this is one of them. Colour: gold. Nose: typical very fresh and very fruity Fins Bois, youthful and extremely clean. I’d call this a joyful style, with tinned litchis, plenty of ripe greengages, apricots, tangerines and melons. The opposite of ‘lounge’ cognacs for old politicians. After fifteen minutes, lovely honeyed notes. Mouth: the same huge fruitiness is to be found on the palate, with similar fruits, although the apricots and tangerines are playing first fiddles this time. There’s also more honey and a bit of sweet oak, while the prunes and raisins are almost absent this time. Finish: not very long, but it’s still very clean and fruity. You just had apricot syrup. Comments: perfect starter, an excellent youngster that you could have as an aperitif. Well done Diners Club (didn’t know they still existed BTW). SGP:640 - 85 points.

Frapin ‘VSOP’ (40%, OB, Grande Champagne, single estate, +/-2014)

Frapin’s a good name, obviously. Colour: amber. Nose: much more oak in this polished baby, more spices, more raisins and more prunes. As well as a discreet smokiness (mentholated cigarettes). There’s something oriental to this, korma sauce or something. It remains delicate and elegant all along – if not really big. Mouth: classic well aged cognac, with good oomph and body, but it’s a little less chiselled than I had hoped. Raisin cake, chocolate, cooked honey and a little burnt toast. Burnt apricot pie. Finish: rather long, cooked and stewed. Pies and rum and raisin cream. Comments: classy cognac but I thought the palate was lacking a bit of definition. We’re still way above the larger brands and their VSOPs. SGP:551 - 80 points.

Ragnaud-Sabourin 'VSOP' (41%, OB, Grande Champagne, single estate, +/-2014)

Another very well reputed house. Colour: deep gold. Nose: we’ve gone one further step towards ‘old cognac’ territories, with these woody spicinesses such as cedar wood, sandalwood, tobacco and so on. Having said that, it remains quite fresh, never stuffy, and would rather develop on superb notes of ripe and stewed peaches. Maybe a wee bit of rancio starting to show off? Love this nose. Mouth: we’re not far from the Frapin, even if this one’s got more wood spices again, and more definition at the same time. Sweet tobacco, more prunes, fruitcake, golden raisins… Maybe more what you would expect from a relatively old cognac from a good house. Finish: quite long, with more cinnamon. The aftertaste is a tad tea-ish but there’s good honey in that tea. Comments: high quality. SGP:651 - 82 points.

I’m quite happy with those three VSOPs, and we could stop now, but why not go on for a little while with an interesting head-to-head?

Vallein-Tercinier ‘Petite Rue 71' (47%, OB, Petite Champagne, single estate, +/-2014)

It doesn’t exactly say so, but this cannot not be a 1971. Colour: deep gold. Nose: there’s what wasn’t quite in the others: time. It’s magnificent, complex yet it does not go in all directions, with honeydew in its core and many dried fruits, fragrant flowers and oriental spices revolving around it. Wee whiffs of copper coins – which I like a lot – plus dried longans, lime tree tea, a little patchouli, apricots and raisins, some pipe tobacco that wouldn’t be too dark (honeydew again) and then the most magnificent soft earthiness. Assorted mushrooms. It’s all very tertiary. Mouth: rougher and bolder this time – but I guess that’s the strength, starting with unexpected notes of very old and totally supreme calvados (so yeah, apples and pears) and developing with exceptional notes of old liqueurs and herbal teas. All of them, literally. The complexity is immense and at times, Macallan circa 1940 crosses my mind. Only flipside, it tends to become a little too herbal and mentholy towards the finish. Finish: long but maybe a wee-tad bitterish. Comments: magical old cognac. Only the finish was a bit of a let-down, but that often happens with old spirits. What a pity, I’d have gone way above 90. SGP:661 - 89 points.

Leyrat ‘Lot 71 Chai de la Distillerie’ (40%, OB, single estate, +/-2013)

Another one that might well be a 1971. Leyrat is a rather new brand that belongs to ABK6 if I’m not mistaken. The domaine is actually named ‘Domaine de chez Maillard’, but I can’t find any information about the appellation (Grande Champagne or Fins Bois and so on.) Should be Fins Bois. Will this baby manage to stand up to the Vallein? Colour: deep gold. Nose: it’s an easier, fruitier, younger style of old cognac, with many more fresh fruits that remind me of the Diners Club. I mean, their excellent cognac. Stewed and candied peaches and melons are running the show, before more oranges and some light green spices start to join in. Maybe a little dust as well, bread crumbles, old wood… The jury’s still out, but I also find hints of ripe mangos, all for the better. Mouth: it’s not a very complex oldie, but what it does it does well. Raisins and vanilla cake, kugelhopf (really), even panettone, then more sappy oils from the wood. Cedar wood, cigars, a feeling of thuja… Finish: quite long – the low strength doesn’t feel- and rather sappy. Raisins in fir liqueur. Maybe a little salt. Comments: of course you’re right, I should have had this one first, before the stronger Vallein. Mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. But this Leyrat was very good. SGP:561 - 86 points.

BONUS: Wait, this bottle just in, quite a few days after I had finished our little session. I just couldn’t wait until our next cognac flight…

Grateaud ‘Brut de Fût’ (61.5%, OB, Borderies, single estate, cask #86, lot #2713, 2013)

Grateaud ‘Brut de Fût’ (61.5%, OB, Borderies, single estate, cask #86, lot #2713, 2013) Look at this label, could anything be more ‘craft’, other than no label at all? Probably made with a Commodore or a Sinclair computer. The label wouldn’t tell, neither does it even give you the smallest clue, but this baby’s 35 years of age. I won’t even mention the price for this single cask, truly cask strength old cognac, that would make you cry (psst, that’s 120€). Oh and remember, these good people do take care of the vines, do the harvests, make the wine, distil it, mature it and sell it. Not exactly a push-button job, is it. Colour: full gold. Nose: perfect. Peaches, a touch of eucalyptus smoke, honey, Muscat raisins, lime tree blossom, a bit of cinnamon, overripe apples, dandelions, blond tobacco… There isn’t anything missing.

With water: exceptional. Old oriental saps and tobaccos that you would have found in a hidden antiques shop somewhere in the Middle-East, or on Ebay. Plus the obligatory peaches. Mouth (neat): high impact, of course, but the back is both floral and delicately spicy. Some vanilla for sure, cider apples, then more other things green and rather tannic… It’s hard to tell whether that tannicity comes from the wood or from the super-high strength. Probably the former, but let’s check that… With water: no, forget, it all got rather smoother, still oriental and superbly herbal. There are rougher edges (apple peelings) but in a way, that makes it even craftier. Finish: long, but the tannins are back. The weaker spot, I’d say. Comments: once again, at had it much higher, until the tannins started to try to take over the palate. The nose was totally out of this world. SGP:561 - 87 points.

Check the index of all cognacs I've tasted so far

Malternatives on Sunday, one petit sac de cognac

Malternatives on Sunday,
one petit sac de cognac