Two New Cognacs

Photo Courtesy PM Spirits

Today I taste two new Cognacs being brought in by Nicolas Palazzi's PM Spirits.

Gourry de Chadeville, 8 years old, 55% ($95)

This is the third release of Gourry de Chadeville that we have seen. Each one has been different. This 100% Ugni Blanc Cognac is  composed of two casks. One spent four years in a Saint-Emillion cask and was then transferred to Cognac casks for an additional four years. The other spent its first four years in a Cognac cask and was then transferred to a Saint-Emillion cask for its next four years.

The nose has strong wine notes with some malt, very whiskey like. The palate is similar with strong malt and wine notes, and a bit of a funky note. Had I been given this blind, I might have guessed that it was a Springbank. It's got a nice punch with very little in the way of fruit character - definitely a brandy for malt drinkers.

Bourgoin Micro Barrique, 22 years old, 55.3% ($150)

Another 100% Ugni Blanc, this Cognac from the Fins Bois region was distilled in 1994 and finished in 10 liter barrels (i.e. micro barrique). The nose is grassy with green grapes. The palate is dry with grassy/malty notes and just a slight brandy character and a malty finish. This one has a slightly more brandy-like character than the Gourry, but it's still more malt-like than brandy like.

I don't know that traditional brandy enthusiasts will be excited about these Cognacs. Given their strong malt whiskey characteristics, they might appeal more to malt fans.  

Thanks to PM Spirits for the samples.

New Cognac from PM Spirits: Gourry de Chadeville Sauternes Aged

This week I'll be drinking brandy. New York based importer/distributor Nicolas Palazzi of PM Spirits, aka Captain Cognac, sent me a number of interesting samples he is now carrying. Palazzi is a stickler for quality so I was excited to try them. As with nearly all of Palazzi's products, these are cask strength with no additives. We'll start with Cognac, move on to Armagnac tomorrow, then some Calvados and Pineau de Charentes.

I was a huge fan of the Gourry de Chadeville Cognac Palazzi brought in last year. This year, he's got a new one which combines two casks: one Sauternes cask and one Cognac cask. After five years in those casks, they switched them (dumping the Sauternes into the Cognac cask and vice versa), aged them another five years and then blended them. 

Gourry de Chadeville Sauternes Aged Cognac, 10 years old, 43.4% abv ($99)

The Sauternes influence is apparent from the get-go on the nose. There's a sweet wine note early on followed by pears and hay. It's really nice. On the palate it's fresh and fruity, obviously young but not offensively so. It's got some hay that makes it taste similar to a single malt. The finish is sweet and a bit acidic. This is nothing like the monster Gourry of last year, but it's a very pleasant brandy.

Thanks to Nicolas Palazzi for the sample.  

Gourry de Chadeville Cognac

Nicolas Palazzi, aka Captain Cognac - brandy importer extraordinaire, sent me a new brandy, which is always a good thing.  I'm not sure anyone picks their Cognacs as carefully as Palazzi, who is very strict about pure spirit with none of the nasty additives and coloring that are typically poured into mass market Cognac.

His latest is a single cask, cask strength, non-chill filtered Cognace from the House of Gourry de Chadeville, a Grande Fine Champagne estate which claims to be the oldest Cognac producer, having acquired their vineyards in 1619. This Cognac is made from Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard grapes. It carries no age statement and weighs in at 64.3% abv, which is huge for a Cognac. There are 330 bottles.


Gourry de Chadeville Cognac, 64.3% abv ($150)

The nose is just huge with chocolate, wood spice and some grassy/earthy notes at the end.  It doesn't smell like any Cognac I've ever sniffed. The palate is dense with flavor.  It comes on sweet then gets some of those chocolate notes with dried fruit underneath.  Then it turns to a bourbon like sweet and spicy mix with lots of big, earthy notes leading into a finish that is fruity on the nose but spicy on the palate.  A few drops of water has a big impact, adding some clove and anise on the nose and lots of spice on the palate.

The flavors here are much more akin to an Armagnac than most Cognacs I've had.  There is lots of spice and much less fruit than the typical Cognac.  It's wonderful, unique stuff with a lot going on.  I keep tasting it, and I keep getting new flavors.

I've howled for years about how I'd love to see higher proof, single cask offerings from Cognac, and it's great to see that we're finally getting one.

This is so complex, oaky and spicy that it will be great for whiskey geeks.  Miss out on BTAC this year? Grab one of these.  Right now, it's available at Astor Wines for $150, and I'm told, it will soon be at K&L as well for $130.