Today is a great Cognac Sunday


April 27, 2025

Today is a great Cognac Sunday

In theory, we should have nothing but good things! In fact, we're planning to increase the number of “malternatives” on WF over the coming months, in order to give more prominence to less ‘industrial’ spirits...

The harbour of Chenac-Saint-Seurin-d’Uzet, in Charente-
Maritime... And within the Bons Bois appellation
(Mairie de Chenac).

In particular, authentic cognacs, distilled from grapes grown very locally – if not from the producers’ own estates – matured on site in virgin or ex-cognac French oak casks, and bottled in the region where they are produced. That’s a far cry from a spirit distilled from imported raw materials, then casked and aged elsewhere in barrels from the other side of the world, which may have previously held a completely unrelated beverage – though that certainly doesn’t rule out high quality, as we've seen on thousands of occasions. It’s really a matter of philosophy, you see…

Symphonie des Terroirs N°2 ‘L.40Y’ (48.8%, OB, Jean-Luc Pasquet, Confluences, 255 bottles, 2025)

A blend with an average age of forty years, comprising 15% Grande Champagne, 50% Fins Bois and 35% Borderies. Symphonie N°1 was rather magnificent back in 2023 (L.31, WF 89). If Maison Pasquet is playing the role of Mozart, then in theory they ought to craft forty-one symphonies over time, and to think we’re only on the second. Colour: full gold. Nose: very lovely. Sicilian cassata, honey-packed nougat, oriental biscuits scented with orange blossom, then some wonderfully ripe peaches that seem to have tumbled to the ground, with a charming earthy edge softened by a few drops of Sauternes, mostly sémillon. Mouth: warning—danger ahead! All sorts of stewed fruits, sweetened with honey, vanilla and liquorice, with just a dusting of cinnamon. I don’t mean to sound smug, but this really does feel ‘composed’. Lively oranges arrive next, adding even more sparkle. Finish: perfect length, not too short, not too long, and above all, incredibly moreish. An amusing note of cracked pepper dances in the aftertaste. Comments: malt freaks, if you’ve never tasted great Cognac before, start here—it’s outrageously good and ‘easy’ (and yes, that’s a compliment!).
SGP:651 - 90 points.

Jean-Luc Pasquet ‘Le Cognac d’Annick L.92’ (45.9%, OB, Grande Champagne, 152 bottles, 2025)

A Grande Champagne from Criteuil-la-Magdeleine. Any beverage bearing that first name, from St Magdalene in Scotland to Château Magdelaine in Saint-Émilion, really ought to be of high quality. Colour: full gold. Nose: even more oriental, bursting with honey, orange blossom and dried figs, before rolling out the full parade of peaches and nectarines—vine peach, yellow peach, nectarines, spring ladies, babcocks, redhavens (I think they’ve got the idea, S.) … A splendid nose, and once again, both effortless and seductive. Mouth: exceptional attack, firmer and even tauter than expected, almost mineral or even saline, more floral than fruity, with violets arriving and even a whisper of lavender. Then come mandarin and apricot liqueurs (like that great one from Roulot, if you must know). Finish: long, fresh, mineral, surprisingly more complex than the finish of the L40 blend. Comments: rather masterful, and it’s quite brilliant to compare a blend and a single cask like this, both of very high standing. Beware though, this is precisely the sort of bottle that’s criminally prone to evaporation, if you catch my drift.
SGP:651 - 91 points.

That’s it, we’ve already gone too high. Blame JL Pasquet.

Pierre de Segonzac ‘Lot 76’ (47.2%, Art Malts, Le Grand Final, Grande Champagne, dame-jeanne #D80, 2025)

Once again some Belgian friends at the helm, which is of course a good sign. What we have here is a Cognac distilled on its lees, so not just a distillate from ‘clear wines’, which should bring extra body and complexity—let’s see… Colour: light amber. Nose: despite being fifty years old, or nearly so, this is quite a fresh Cognac, very classic on the aromatic front, all about overripe apricots and mirabelles, honeyed sultanas, honeysuckle and white clover, nougat, and since May Day is just around the corner, genuine woodland lily of the valley. Add to that a few wee touches of curry and liquorice. Mouth: very ripe peaches and orange cake, orange drops, triple sec and Muscat of Alexandria. Careful—yet again, this is seriously seductive and thus dangerously easy to drink. Also notes of liquorice allsorts and a hint of green tea bringing balance to the ensemble. Finish: medium in length, very fruity. Apricot liqueur and sultanas, with honey and liquorice lingering in the aftertaste. Comments: honey and liquorice, that’s scandalously tasty and ‘easy’, so this is another one that’s a bit of a menace in bottle form.
SGP:641 - 89 points.

Gousseland ‘Lot 72 La Dernière Goutte’ (40.2%, Art Malts, Series of Art #5, Bons Bois, barrique, cask #3, 60 bottles, 2022)

‘The last drop’ may sound a bit sombre, but the label is really quite lovely, if sad. We’re in Chenac-Saint-Seurin-d'Uzet, practically on the Gironde estuary, a place once apparently famed for producing… caviar. And ‘bons bois’ Cognac too, of course. Colour: amber. Nose: we’re getting that quieter, more restrained character typical of bons bois, but it’s not rustic in the slightest, and the great age here doesn’t translate into any weakness. Lovely notes of small herbs and spices—sage, coriander, oregano, myrtle, rosemary—it’s almost like a walk through the maquis, and it’s all very elegant, subtle, and ultimately complex. Mouth: absolutely no reason to fear the low alcohol level, it’s still full of life, if not exactly booming. Sweet baby tomatoes, dates, sweet wine, pineau, apricots, a bit of vin cuit… Finish: naturally not very long, but gracefully soft, heading towards rosehip jam, with a few notes of sultanas and floral jelly. Comments: a charming old Cognac of great gentleness.
SGP:541 - 89 points.

I’ve just seen that some websites, which automatically steal and aggregate external data, are showing a WF score of 91 for the baby that follows – but I can confirm I’ve never tasted it until now. Things are starting to stink pretty badly on Web 3.0, don’t you think?

Petite Champagne 53 yo 1969/2022 (59.8%, Michiel Wigman, Precious Moments)

Colour: amber. Nose: well, the trouble is I might very well agree with my ‘false self’, and we’ll all end up with serious psychological issues thanks to this post-truth world driven by mass delusion, DJT-style. At any rate, this Cognac is perfectly tight and compact, all on nougat, fudge and raisin bread. But given that rather surprising strength, water is absolutely required… With water: in comes mint tea, bergamot, Earl Grey, light nougat, mirabelle jam… Mouth (neat): powerful, edgy, jammy, honeyed, and fairly hot. Quickly now… With water: spicier, still powerful, hearty, and full-on rustic. Apples, peaches, raisins, damsons and cinnamon. Finish: long, on the same notes, with an extra turn of pepper. Comments: excellently rustic.
SGP:551 - 89 points.

Same here – I’ve never tasted the next one either, yet it's showing a score of 91 on those nauseating pirate sites that do nothing but steal content. If only they didn’t also tamper with it! As we say back home in Alsace, 's’esch necht mehr scheen’ – “it’s just not nice anymore.” Anyway, just joking (sort of), we don’t really care… but still, we kind of wish a million fleas would eternally itch those folks’ backsides – as our Chinese friends would say (I think).

Petite Champagne 55 yo 1968/2023 (59.1%, Michiel Wigman, Precious Moments, 132 bottles)

Colour: amber. Nose: take one third Rosebank, one third Balvenie and one third Glenmo, then stir in a dash of proper PX. With water: perfect, with rather surprising notes of garden cress. I’m not joking—I adore garden cress. Mouth (neat): excellent, just a little… strong. Fig spirit and dried raisins. With water: yes, excellent again, even if reducing this sort of spirit properly on your own isn’t exactly a breeze. Blood oranges, white pepper, Thai basil, pomegranates, and those peppery watercress-like notes return. Incredible—and I’m in love. Finish: long, with a light touch of brown sugar, candy sugar and such. Very curious slightly salty aftertaste, like in a Cognac from Ré or Oléron. Comments: fifty-five years in cask and not a wrinkle! One imagines—without being entirely certain—that it was a well-used cask from the start, back in 1968.
SGP:562 - 90 points.

A final little one – the latest from one of the current stars of independent cognac bottling – and I must say, truly bravo to them…

Ma Cerise ‘Lot 68’ (50.3%, Malternative Belgium, Petite Champagne, 364 bottles, 2025)

A Cognac from a bouilleur de cru in Réaux-sur-Trèfle, Charente-Maritime, not far from Jonzac. I must admit I’d never heard of most of these villages, and I’m most grateful to independent bottlers for helping me discover them. Talk about being a French citizen—I’m even a little ashamed… Then again, we do have thirty-six thousand communes in France, all feeding into an administrative mille-feuille that would make even the most ambitious Los Angeles pastry chef weep with envy. Colour: orangey amber. Nose: a lovely little fruity gem, straightforward and uncomplicated, on mirabelles, liquorice, quince and honey. It’s absolutely precise. With water: mirabelle liqueur, apricot liqueur, quince liqueur, pine liqueur—amen. Mouth (neat): I don’t quite know why they called this ‘ma cerise’ (my cherry), though I do indeed find hints of kirsch and Calvados here, with a clear ‘bouilleur de cru’ character. We’re miles away from the high-volume, big-brand style. With water: the florals and spices burst wide open—borage, fennel, liquorice, caraway, chamomile, poppy, little lemons, all manner of citrus zests… Boom, that’s three more points right there. Finish: medium length, with a slight herbal liqueur touch—chartreuse, verbena, genepy… Leaves the palate feeling perfectly fresh. Comments: splendid, once again. But who is this Cerise anyway? In French, Cerise is a woman’s name.
SGP:661 - 91 points.

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