Brandy Friday: Jean Fillioux

For our first Brandy Friday tasting, we've chosen a Cognac from Jean Fillioux. A small house run almost entirely by Pascal J. Fillioux, Jean Fillioux makes Cognac entirely from the vineyards on his estates in the acclaimed Golden Triangle area of the Grande Champagne cru in the Cognac region.

The Fillioux brand can be hard to find but much of the range is available locally at Wine & Liquor Depot in Van Nuys and selected bottles can also be found at Silverlake Wine. Some of the Fillioux Cognacs have age designations (VSOP, etc.), but most, including today's, do not.


Tasting

Jean Fillioux La Pouyade Cognac, Vieile Grande Champagne, 1st Cru, 42% ($40).

The nose on this is wonderfully fruity: pears, plums, prunes, sweet white wine and spices. I could just sniff it all day. The flavor follows up with sweet fruit and a good amount of oak to give it some backbone and complexity. A really nice Cognac and a nice start to our tastings.