Héritage René Rivière Grand Hommage tasting notes 2

Héritage René Rivière Grand Hommage 40%

Final step of this Special Borderies Week: the Héritage René Rivière Grand Hommage!
Héritage René Rivière Grand Hommage tasting notes and brand
4.5/5

HÉRITAGE RENÉ RIVIÈRE GRAND HOMMAGE 40%

Time Machine 

70yo+, verified as an assemblage of cognacs that were placed in casks before WWI. Before 1914. Can you imagine?  At that time, my great-grandfather was a hardworking young farmer taking care of his fields, few kilometers north of the Borderies. And now I have the privilege to taste this kind of cognac…Come on Marty, let’s get back to the future with this Héritage René Rivière Grand Hommage!

Colour: Dark amber, copper lights. Very heavy regular tears. 

Nose: Very floral and fresh at first. Rosewater, jasmine, smooth vanilla perfume too. It needs a lot of air. Then it goes. Great fruitiness on peach and plum. Young apricot. Then it gets some roasted notes on bitter chocolate, surrounded by buttery notes. Cherry/violet syrup. Cocoa butter, coconut powder. Rich, exotic, and roasted notes dominate this nose. A vivid freshness in the background on menthol and sandalwood. Cristal clear wood influence here. 70yo+ in a cask, that’s quite logical. 

A great mix of mint and chocolate. Shy spicy notes too, mainly on ginger and cardamom. It still moves. Honey, quince jam. Some tannic and red berries scents. Very sugary melon notes, the same you find in Oléron’s pineaux (for which I’ll do some reviews soon) or in the Grosperrin Oléron N°90 for example.

Palate: Oily texture. Very wild aromas. Rancid butter, goat milk. Then you get a great kick of freshness, mainly eucalyptus. The aftertaste gives you a massive dose of candied fruits, especially strawberries and cherries. Nice shades of coffee and an obvious bitterness on bitter chocolate. Same earthiness than previously perceived with the Très Vieille Réserve (something very rum-like combined with the fruitiness). It ends on very rancioted notes: porcini mushrooms, very dry tobacco, rancid milk, mushrooms stew. Wow

Last Notes: With more air, it’s full of candied fruits, mainly plums, pears nicely underlined by honey tones. A tad of violet perfume in the background. Very leathery scents too. A great mix of spiciness and freshness on cardamom, anise, and cloves. Still some delicate floral notes on Jasmin and orange blossom and some roasted notes on cocoa powder and light cigar smells. And what about the palate? It’s full of dried prunes and figs. Delicious sugariness on licorice/caramel sweets. Still, great rancioted notes (fresh milk, old leather, goat stable) previously perceived, this time surrounded by spicy notes of cloves, white pepper, and nutmeg. It ends on cedarwood  (humidor) and rough wood aromas, maybe a bit of sandalwood too. 

I’m quite speechless. It’s probably not the best cognac I’ve ever tasted, but I don’t know if I’m already able to drink this kind of jewel. Very complex, always moving, with so many aromas. A beautiful testimony of Borderie’s past. Very different from the Borderies N°28, as this Grand Hommage shows its venerable age through its strong rancioted and wooded notes. 

My very subjective note: 91/100

More info on this Héritage René Rivière Grand Hommage

Héritage René Rivière Grand Hommage tasting notes 2

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