Héritage René Rivière Très Vieille Réserve tasting notes

Héritage René Rivière Très Vieille Réserve 40%

3rd step of this Special Borderies Week: the Héritage René Rivière Très Vieille Réserve!
Héritage René Rivière Très Vieille Réserve tasting notes
4.5/5

HÉRITAGE RENÉ RIVIÈRE TRÈS VIEILLE RÉSERVE 40%

Violet Underground

For the 3rd cognac of this Special Borderies Week, we’re back in Saint-Sulpice-de-Cognac. My previous experiences with Jean-Jacques Vidal’s treasures were quite convincing. This one is a 50yo+. I’ve nothing to add. Well, let’s taste this Héritage René Rivière Très Vieille Réserve!

Colour: Amber, orange lights. Heavy irregular tears.

Nose: Very rich nose. I might even say opulent. Acacia honey. Orange blossom. Rancid salted butter. Great freshness in the background, especially on sandalwood. Chestnut tree honey with its strength and bitterness. Violet sweets. Mint and cherry gum. Huge fruitiness on pineapple/peach juice, something quite Demerara rum-like (and I’m not the first one to find these shades), and some great Fins Bois (reminds me of the Grosperrin FB 1959). Tangerine juice. Sapidity and richness of some great olive/walnut oil. Honey wax. Massive waves of dried figs and prunes with more air. Hints of fresh leather. Gentle gingerbread notes in the background too. 

Palate: Sweet/oily texture. Licorice bomb. Cola sweets. Candied plums and pears. A tad of acidity on grapefruit juice. Strawberry juice. Incredible fruitiness. Candied citruses for sure. Violet syrup. A very rich texture that emphasizes the mouth length. Apricot jam. Fresh licorice. Linseed oil. Roasted notes on burnt wood and strong ristretto aromas. It ends on a great combination of mint leaves and heavy tobaccos notes. Bang! 

Last Notes: The fruitiness of this nose is unbelievable. Strawberry tart with its generous creaminess. Blood orange juice. Marasquin cherry. Coffee liquor. Guava juice. This nose with more air combines three things: burnt and roasted notes/immediate freshness/massive fruitiness. Obvious rancio on tobacco and dried mushrooms. Peach syrup. Coffee beans again. Undoubtedly some tiramisu shades in this HRR TVR. The palate is fruitier than before. Pear juice, tinned plums. Caramelized carrots. The same freshness as previously perceived, mainly on eucalyptus. A nice peppery aftertaste, a tad of black pepper, and nutmeg. 

Another Borderies monument. A bit more convincing than the Vieille Réserve. But there’s one shortcoming. The nose is staggering. I mean, I can spend hours on these scents. The problem is with the palate. It’s a nice one, undoubtedly around 89 points. But the reduction seems a bit brutal and that’s quite frustrating. It probably has the potential to be a 93 but I can’t rate this Héritage René Rivière Très Vieille Réserve over 91. 

My very subjective note: 90+/100

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Héritage René Rivière Très Vieille Réserve tasting notes

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