Cognalternative Session #2
#2
Fine de Gevrey Chambertin 2007 P. NaigeON 40,1%
84+/100
First Fine de Bourgogne on Hors d’Age. This one comes from Pierre Naigeon, in Gevrey Chambertin. Produced in 2007, it has been bottled for Authentic Spirits in 2021 at 40,1%.
Colour: Gold, hay lights. Regular medium tears.
Nose: Quite exotic at first. Reminds of some rum. but I finally find it surprisingly closer to a whisky that I tried before: the Penderyn Ex-Bourbon (2007, 58,6%) with its exotic side on tinned pineapple, its resinous cedarwood notes, and its spiced tones on cloves. Disconcerting. Obvious wood influence on pine needle and brand new oak plank. A tad honeyed in a second time and hints of various Christmas spices. Only 40,1% but it needs air for sure.
Mouth: Sweet texture with acidity in the aftertaste. Very malt-like in fact. Dry notes of cereal surrounded by honeyed aromas. A bit of quince and raisins in the mouth length to remind you that’s wine-based. Ample balsamic notes underlined by oaky and resinous shades as an echo to the nose (mainly cedarwood).
Last Notes: Stronger resinous and spiced notes with more air. Hints of buttery and nutty pastry notes, especially on walnut pie and croissant. A tad of clove and cinnamon in the background and still slightly honeyed. Back on the palate, you get another full spoon of cereal notes, but this time more on muesli and morning pastry aromas. It reminds me a bit of Waterford style with its wine casks balance, but less precise, drier, less rich, and less powerful (40,1% VS 50%). Nice marzipan and dry walnut notes in the mouth length.
Well, not a bad one for a first fine de Bourgogne on Hors d’Age. Certainly a lack of precision and a tad too oaky in my humble opinion but it remains a good surprise. Such a complex spirit for a 14yo brandy. Hope I’ll taste some other Fine/Marc de Bourgogne soon to set a comparative tasting session.
#1
Domaine de Baraillon Folle Blanche 1989 44,9%
87+/100
And here is bas-armagnac for the second cognalternative of this session. It is another bottling from Authentic Spirits, and this one comes from Domaine de Baraillon, an armagnac house that already did some noticeable IB’s collaborations, especially with the Wu Dram Clan. This brandy is a 1989 Folle Blanche bottled at 44,9%.
Colour: Amber, orange lights. Heavy irregular tears.
Nose: Quite heady at first on floral and citruses scents. Great smells of orange blossom and tangerine juice. It goes on almost overripe fruity shades: plums, melon, vine peach. Nice floral notes of rose water and lavender. Bitter chocolate and nutty notes then. Hints of bourbon-like scents on violet and vanilla stick but immediately counterbalanced by wet undergrowth and humid cellar notes. Reasonable wood influence.
Mouth: Sweet texture with a dry aftertaste. More armagnac-like than what I previously perceived but you still get some Bourbon shades on violet syrup and cocoa powder. Old dusty wood and linseed oil aromas in the mouth length. A tad of bitterness on cider apple. It ends on various citruses notes.
Last Notes: Great cocoa powder scents (again). Quite rancioted with more air on licorice syrup and roasted black pepper. Strong coffee scents surrounded by strong walnut oil notes. Yes, definitively some nutty and roasted shades now. Acidulous texture now, full of rancioted notes of fresh ground coffee melted to the astringence of pinesap. It ends on dry chestnut and bitter chocolate aromas.
Very Bourbon-like by some aspects. A refined armagnac with strong oaky tones. Well, it’s not that far from 88. Less convincing than the Dartigalongue Folle Blanche 1993 in my humble opinion, but this Baraillon has undeniable good overall qualities.
Thank you Aurelien for these samples
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