Wine & Spirits - April 2013 - (Page 16)
COGNAC
By Lou Bustamante
While researching the history of some very old
cocktails, I was reminded how many recipes were
originally based on Cognac. Consider the OldFashioned, which some believe to be the first
cocktail ever created: It was initially based on
French brandy, and not on whiskey, the king of
the spirits world today. I decided to give Cognac
a second look, and found that the current crop
offers incredible value and quality. Some of the
best new entries incorporate techniques like
barrel finishing; others are enriched with stocks
of older spirits. And, in a nod to the contemporary
cocktail scene, several companies have released
Cognacs tailor-made for mixing.
To be called Cognac, a spirit must come from the region
around the town of Cognac in southwest France; be distilled
from wine made from the local ugni blanc, folle blanche or
colombard varieties; and spend at least two years in French
oak casks. Then it’s graded by age, using a rather cryptic
system that ranges from VS (at least two years), VSOP (at
least four years) all the way up to Hors d’Age (essentially
off the scale in age), though the scale usually stops at XO
(at least six years and up to 20 years).
Prunier Cognacs
Prunier started off as a Cognac trading
company in the 18th century in the port
town of La Rochelle before establishing
a base in Cognac in the 19th century.
Its brandies remain some of the most
classic in flavor, with lots of fruit and
oak sweetness. Prunier’s VSOP, made
from ugni blanc grown in Cognac’s
prized Grande Champagne region, is a case
in point, with aromas of pear and caramel and rich honey flavors.
A slight resin quality and light coffee finish give it extra dimension. The Family Réserve is blended from barrels at least 15 years
old (making it essentially an XO) and from a variety of crus within
Cognac. It explodes with cherry blossom floral scents and a richness of cherry and almond flavors that almost demand a slice of
clafoutis. Even Prunier’s 20 Years Old manages to retain a lovely,
buttery fruit sweetness, rather than giving it up to the lumberyard
essence of so many over-aged spirits.
Imported by Frederick Wildman & Sons, NY; Prunier VSOP, 40%
abv, $38; Family Réserve, 40% abv, $63; 20 Years Old, 40%
abv, $78
16
WINE & SPIRITS
APRIL 2013
Pierre Ferrand 1840
Original Formula Cognac
Cognac Pierre Ferrand distillery owner Alexandre Gabriel and cellarmaster Christian
Guerin designed this new release to taste like the kind of Cognac that would have
shown up in cocktails in the days of famed bartender Jerry Thomas. Basing their recipe on brandy samples from the 19th century, including an impossibly rare and wellpreserved bottle of Pinet-Castillon, this Cognac is bottled at a higher proof than usual
and aged lightly to add oak flavor, but not so much as to lose the bright fruit flavors
it shows when proofed down. It’s not the most nuanced Cognac out there, but it also
doesn’t get lost when mixed into a cocktail, remaining lively and forward with vanilla,
caramel and butter flavors. Check it out in an old-style Old-Fashioned.
Imported by W.J. Deutsch & Sons, White Plains, NY; 45% abv, $45
Hine Cognacs
Selected from Grande and Petite Champagne crus and aged for a minimum of four
years, the H by Hine is drier and a little more delicate than Ferrand’s 1840, with an
oak-influenced combination of coconut, spice and cooked-apple flavors
that read well in a classic Sidecar. On the other end of the spectrum is
Homage, a salute to Englishman Thomas Hine, who started the company back in 1814. It incorporates three “early-landed” Cognacs,
barrels of the French brandy aged outside of the region that
matured in the UK from 1984, 1986 and 1987. It’s a robust
Cognac bursting with flavors of pear tart, with a terrific cinnamon and vanilla tang, a spirit you’ll want to enjoy simply
in a glass, worthy of toasting special occasions.
Imported by Anchor Distilling Co., San Francisco, CA
H by Hine VSOP, 40% abv, $44; Homage, 40% abv, $139
CAMUS Ile de Ré Cognac
The Ile de Ré is an island off the coast of La Rochelle, where Camus
ages a range of spirits. These are gateway Cognacs for Scotch
drinkers if there ever were any—picking up the kind of oceanic
qualities found in whisky aged in coastal Scotland. The Fine
Island smells a bit like tamarind, with the influence of sea
air showing up in a mineral note and a cooling menthol feel.
The Double Matured has a similar fresh-ocean feel but takes
the flavors deeper, with tart cherry aromas, lovely spice and
forest floor essence; it has a touch of sweetness from the
second “toasted barrel” aging. The Cliffside Cellar, the lot that
ages closest to the sea, shows more oak extraction, with a pronounced salinity and vanilla scent; the flavors are wonderfully salty-sweet, caramellike yet earthy, almost peaty. All are best enjoyed neat, with an ice cube or a little bit
of water, just like you would Scotch.
Imported by CIL Amerique, Manhasset, NY; Camus Ile de Ré Fine Island, 40% abv,
$49; Double Matured, 40% abv, $69; Cliffside Cellar, 40% abv, $99
Conjure Cognac
I’ll admit that I was skeptical of Conjure, but not because of celebrity Chris “Ludacris” Bridges’ involvement in the project (he personally helps blend it). Rather, it was
because of the wild mix involved here: It’s a blend of VS, VSOP and XO Cognacs (made
by Birkedal Hartmann) rather than barrels of brandy. And yet, for the price, it holds
its own among the heavy hitters in this tasting. The bruléed apple aromas take on
elements of almond, violets, vanilla and clove on the palate, evidence of the older
stocks in the blend. You can drink it alone, but it’s designed to mix in drinks. Have it
in a toddy, or the way Ludacris drinks his, with a splash of cola.
Imported by Branded Wines Import Co., Miami, FL; 40% abv, $33
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Wine & Spirits - April 2013
Wine & Spirits - April 2013
Editor’s Note
Happenings
Contents
Fined & Filtered The Digital List
Cognac: The New Wave
The Funky Bits: Alice Feiring on terroir expression in Comté
Pouilly-Fuissé Premier Cru
Pinot Noir’s Nerve Center
Where Tuscany Meets Liguria
Insider Chianti
Where to Eat & Drink in New York
24th Annual Restaurant Poll
Introduction
US Pinot Noir
Austria
Portugul Reds
White Burgundy
Loire
Tuscan Reds
US New Releases
Imported New Releases
Extreme Values
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