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Conte et Filles L'ESSENTIEL
L'ESSENTIEL
A12
NEW Exclusive Limited Edition
RALENTIR - RÉFLÉCHIR - RÉUNIR
ABV: 46.3 %
Growth Area: Petite Champagne
Village: Nonaville
Grape Variety: Ugni Blanc
Bottle size: 70 cl
Lot: N°0822
Cask: N°49
Cask Volume: 400L
Cask Provenance: Tronçais
Natural: No additives, non-chill filtered
Date of last reduction: July 29, 2022
Limited Edition: 161 bottles
TASTING NOTES
Nose: Bright and lively, suggesting youthful freshness. Immense fruitiness: ripe pear, baked green apple, mirabelle plums, splash of sweet lemony citrus not unlike that of some mid-aged riesling. Lemon curd. A tiny dash of vanilla. A refreshing absence of oak and spice, no rancio. Very fine. Very fresh. Close to the distillate. If one thinks of the Cognac aroma wheel, this is firmly in the upper hemisphere of that wheel.
Palate: Lovely texture. Good acidity and juiciness. Excellent drinkability. Fresh and youthful but oh so pleasant. This is indeed distillate forward, not oak forward - and wow what a fruity Cognac it is! The same immense fruitiness from the nose appears: pears, mirabelle plums, other yellow plums, sweet lemon citrus, green apple applesauce. Taiwanese pineapple cake, lemon curd, both giving a pleasant touch of gourmandise. Cream.
Finish: Medium length, commendable but not one to contemplate for ages. A very inviting, cheerful Cognac. One smell and sip demands another, and another, and so on. Complexity is on point for its 12 years of age. A Cognac to drink and enjoy - the perfect “session” Cognac. A fascinating display of young un-messed with Petite Champagne character. While firmly a Cognac, the traces to some whisk(e)y is unmistakable, notably Teeling (Irish) and Aultmore.
Discounts and vouchers cannot be used for L’ESSENTIEL A12.
Free Shipping is not applicable for L'ESSENTIEL A12.
Shipping US: $17/bottle
Sorry, all bottles are sold out - forever.
But take a look at the other stunning Marancheville Cognacs we have available in our online shop.
Don't miss out on new releases - sign up to our newsletter.
Limited stock
The third edition of L’ESSENTIEL Season 2 is here, this time in direct collaboration with our friends and neighbors Conte & Filles just up the road in Chillac.
This vibrant youthful Cognac comes from a single plot of vines situated in Nonaville, in the Petite Champagne cru, called Le Tas de Pierre - the pile of stone in English. Sisters Blandine and Anne-Laure Conte state that this particular name is undoubtedly due to the especially chalky subsoil. Furthermore, this unique vineyard is located completely on an east-facing hillside, which allows the vines to receive the day’s first rays of sun, but which protects the vines from the late afternoon and evening drying warm winds from the west. The vines are considerably old - roughly 40 years to be exact - so the roots are firmly established and pierce deep to seek freshness.
“The eaux-de-vie from this plot are for us the fruitiest of the estate. The limestone brings fruity and complex aromas to the Cognacs from this plot.”
-Blandine and Anne-Laure Conte
Conte et Filles was a major revelation for us during 2022! Not only did we fall in love with their range of honest authentic fruit-forward Cognacs, but their manner of working is decidedly close to the soil, to make what they call Cognac de Terroirs. They are grower-distillers that do everything at the domaine from a to z - everything! Since they took the helm of the estate, chemical weed killers have become a thing of the past, favoring organic fertilizer instead.
Additionally, they are committed to working the soil using the historical tools typically used to perform this ever-so-important work. This method of vineyard labor requires extreme precision and requires a very sound knowledge of the land to avoid soil erosion - not to mention a considerable amount of time out in the vines. All of this leads to healthier, cleaner, more lively soils - and of course, healthier vines and grapes.
What grabbed our attention about this particular Cognac to make it a must-bottle for L’ESSENTIEL? Some additional production information is needed to see the whole picture. This is an official 2010 vintage Cognac, bottled in August 2022. Hence, the A12 indication points to its 12 years of age. Interestingly, distillation took place without the lees. Anne-Laure and Blandine state that distilling with the lees typically gives a rounder eau-de-vie with a more exotic fruit aromatic profile, whereas distilling without the lees produces a finer eau-de-vie with a white-fruit aromatic profile. A common understanding is that distilling with the lees can lead to eaux-de-vie more apt for a long maturation - not something we sought with this 12 year old Cognac.
Reviews (10)
Young Fruity Cognac with Good Complexity and Balance
by Nikola M.
29 Apr 2024
The nose leads with ripe pears, then vanilla, green apples, lemon, and a hint of oak. When sniffing from certain angles, something bright and flowery emerges, like a very deep layer buried under the fruits. The mouth follows the nose with pears, apples, lemons, and a very pleasant sweetness like that...
Read more
L'ESSENTIEL A12
by Ahab
18 Apr 2023
Nose: very fruity, tart apple, lime, mirabelle, white wine, a touch of fresh wood, slightly pungent. Taste: also here a lot of bright fruit, yellow plums, citrus, fresh wood Finish: medium long, very fruity, becoming a bit dry Verdict: Nice, young drinking cognac that definitely impresses with...
Read more
Fruity and also complexity cognac
by Daniel B.
21 Dec 2022
The Cognac L'essential A12 is an aromatic and complex Cognac with notes of honey, vanilla, dried fruit, and spices. It has a medium to full body and a good balance between fruity and spicy . The finish is mid long and round, indicating a high quality of the Cognac. Overall, the L'essential a12 appears...
Read more
Presentation of perfume
by Wenge W.
16 Nov 2022
After opening the bottle, the wine has strong fragrance and obvious spicy taste, just like perfume. After pouring a cup of cognac, the fragrance of flowers and fruits is mixed, with distinct layers; After a sip, the spicy ginger and orange flavors gradually appear, and the wooden barrel fragrance...
Read more
excellent young cognac
by Serge Valentin
9 Nov 2022
They would give you a lot of data, such as the fact that the vines are located in Nonaville, that this is pure ugni blanc, that the oak came from forêt de Tronçais, and that the house is located in Poulignac. Colour: gold. Nose: fresh and really very fruity. We're wandering throughout a large orchard...
Read more
A12 1st conte et filles cognac
by Jr
3 Nov 2022
The nose is fruitier more than anything apples and pears greet the nose, no wood on this one and just the tiniest hint of spice. This cognac is quite refreshing compared to my normal cognac choices as this doesn't have the usual spice taste compared to my regulars, fruity fresh and sweet is what I...
Read more
Very good cognac
by Mamuka R.
3 Nov 2022
Very fruit forward, for me it started young crisp fruits and then it open up with a more darker fruits like plumps figs some dark berries, it's very pleasant on a pellet medium viscosity and medium finish. Overall very enjoyable. Cognac and most importantly for me nothing was added to it like sugar....
Read more
Lovely fruit forward Cognac!!!
by Tony M.
30 Sep 2022
If many of you have read my reviews, you can quickly see that I tend to stick to mainly the Cognac, and not much small talk, but I'm going to add some comments to the end of this one. Young, crisp fruit greets the nose in the form of green apples and pear, almost reminding me of a young Calvados....
Read more
LÉSSENTIEL A12 - a really fine young cognac
by Wolfgang S.
30 Sep 2022
A fascinating young cognac with a complex fruity nose without wood or rancio, very fresh, citrus notes, pears, yellow plums. Rather dense and oily on the palate, also on lemons, pears and apples. Juicy and fresh - a pleasure to drink and absolutely not simple or boring. The finish is of medium length,...
Read more
It is a single cask Cognac, cask N°49, and the Cognac spent its first year of life in a young 400 liter Tronçais oak barrel before being transferred to a very old 400 liter barrel to continue its maturation until bottling. The used barrel also comes from Tronçais oak.
“The majority of the Cognacs of the domain are made from Tronçais oak because the pores of the wood are tighter which brings less tannin and more delicate aromas.”
-Blandine and Anne-Laure Conte
The above two points are precisely the unique characteristics of this Cognac: distillation without lees and aging in Tronçais oak. Smelling and tasting this Cognac with the knowledge of the key production details leads to quite an educational experience. This L’ESSENTIEL A12 Conte & Filles is immensely fruity, bright, and fine!
The Cognac is bottled at 46.3% alcohol, with a final reduction taking place on July 29, 2022. The color is natural, and no chill-filtration occurred. No additives whatsoever were used.
In short: The excellent Le Tas de Pierre Petite Champagne hillside vineyard plot, sensible precise work in the vines, distillation without the lees, measured oak treatment with Tronçais oak only (not Limousin oak), and a natural “malternative” presentation for this 12 year old Cognac all contribute to produce a Cognac we simply couldn’t not bottle!
On the topic of malternatives…There is a lot of talk of “malternatives” these days - rightfully so. We love the attention it brings to Cognac the spirit and Cognac the region! Many of the recent Cognac bottlings deemed to be malternatives are mature 30, 40, 50, 60, etc. year old Cognacs (L’ESSENTIEL A29 Grosperrin and A45 Marancheville, for example). It’s not exactly easy to compare these uber-old Cognacs to many of the younger single malt whisky bottlings being released these days. Look around at official and independent bottler whisky today, and you’ll see a multitude of interesting offerings in the 7 to 20 year range, sometimes older, but rarely reaching the ages of some of the recent Cognac bottlings.
Generally speaking, for many official and independent bottlers of whisky, the 12 year old whisky, bottled at 46%, natural color, and non chill-filtered is the benchmark. Therefore, this L’ESSENTIEL A12 Conte & Filles is our take on 12 year old Cognac bottled at 46%, natural color, and non chill-filtered - our idea of a malternative!
Special thanks to Anne Laure and Blandine Conte, as well as Lise Mignon, for making this L’ESSENTIEL A12 happen and for raising Cognacs with this remarkable purity of fruit! And We’d be hard pressed to find nicer people in the region too!
Please enjoy, share with others, and always remember to slow down, reflect, and reunite - ralentir, reflechir, réunir. Santé !
L'ESSENTIEL A12 Conte et Filles
ABV: 46.3 %
Growth Area: Petite Champagne
Village: Nonaville
Grape Variety: Ugni Blanc
Bottle size: 70 cl
Lot: N°0822
Cask: N°49
Cask Volume: 400L
Cask Provenance: Tronçais
Natural: No additives, non-chill filtered
Date of last reduction: July 29, 2022
Limited Edition: 161 bottles
TASTING NOTES
Nose: Bright and lively, suggesting youthful freshness. Immense fruitiness: ripe pear, baked green apple, mirabelle plums, splash of sweet lemony citrus not unlike that of some mid-aged riesling. Lemon curd. A tiny dash of vanilla. A refreshing absence of oak and spice, no rancio. Very fine. Very fresh. Close to the distillate. If one thinks of the Cognac aroma wheel, this is firmly in the upper hemisphere of that wheel.
Palate: Lovely texture. Good acidity and juiciness. Excellent drinkability. Fresh and youthful but oh so pleasant. This is indeed distillate forward, not oak forward - and wow what a fruity Cognac it is! The same immense fruitiness from the nose appears: pears, mirabelle plums, other yellow plums, sweet lemon citrus, green apple applesauce. Taiwanese pineapple cake, lemon curd, both giving a pleasant touch of gourmandise. Cream.
Finish: Medium length, commendable but not one to contemplate for ages. A very inviting, cheerful Cognac. One smell and sip demands another, and another, and so on. Complexity is on point for its 12 years of age. A Cognac to drink and enjoy - the perfect “session” Cognac. A fascinating display of young un-messed with Petite Champagne character. While firmly a Cognac, the traces to some whisk(e)y is unmistakable, notably Teeling (Irish) and Aultmore.
$ 83
excl.
TAX
excl. shipping
Shipping US: $17/bottle
Limited stock
L'ESSENTIEL
A12
NEW Exclusive Limited Edition
$ 83
excl.
TAX
excl. shipping
Shipping US: $17/bottle
Limited stock
Sorry, all bottles are sold out - forever.
But take a look at the other stunning Marancheville Cognacs we have available in our online shop.
Don't miss out on new releases - sign up to our newsletter.
ABV: 46.3 %
Growth Area: Petite Champagne
Village: Nonaville
Grape Variety: Ugni Blanc
Bottle size: 70 cl
Lot: N°0822
Cask: N°49
Cask Volume: 400L
Cask Provenance: Tronçais
Natural: No additives, non-chill filtered
Date of last reduction: July 29, 2022
Limited Edition: 161 bottles
Discounts and vouchers cannot be used for L'ESSENTIEL A12.
Free Shipping is not applicable for L'ESSENTIEL A12.
Reviews (10)
Young Fruity Cognac with Good Complexity and Balance
by Nikola M.
29 Apr 2024
The nose leads with ripe pears, then vanilla, green apples, lemon, and a hint of oak. When sniffing from certain angles, something bright and flowery emerges, like a very deep layer buried under the fruits. The mouth follows the nose with pears, apples, lemons, and a very pleasant sweetness like that...
Read more
L'ESSENTIEL A12
by Ahab
18 Apr 2023
Nose: very fruity, tart apple, lime, mirabelle, white wine, a touch of fresh wood, slightly pungent. Taste: also here a lot of bright fruit, yellow plums, citrus, fresh wood Finish: medium long, very fruity, becoming a bit dry Verdict: Nice, young drinking cognac that definitely impresses with...
Read more
Fruity and also complexity cognac
by Daniel B.
21 Dec 2022
The Cognac L'essential A12 is an aromatic and complex Cognac with notes of honey, vanilla, dried fruit, and spices. It has a medium to full body and a good balance between fruity and spicy . The finish is mid long and round, indicating a high quality of the Cognac. Overall, the L'essential a12 appears...
Read more
Presentation of perfume
by Wenge W.
16 Nov 2022
After opening the bottle, the wine has strong fragrance and obvious spicy taste, just like perfume. After pouring a cup of cognac, the fragrance of flowers and fruits is mixed, with distinct layers; After a sip, the spicy ginger and orange flavors gradually appear, and the wooden barrel fragrance...
Read more
excellent young cognac
by Serge Valentin
9 Nov 2022
They would give you a lot of data, such as the fact that the vines are located in Nonaville, that this is pure ugni blanc, that the oak came from forêt de Tronçais, and that the house is located in Poulignac. Colour: gold. Nose: fresh and really very fruity. We're wandering throughout a large orchard...
Read more
A12 1st conte et filles cognac
by Jr
3 Nov 2022
The nose is fruitier more than anything apples and pears greet the nose, no wood on this one and just the tiniest hint of spice. This cognac is quite refreshing compared to my normal cognac choices as this doesn't have the usual spice taste compared to my regulars, fruity fresh and sweet is what I...
Read more
Very good cognac
by Mamuka R.
3 Nov 2022
Very fruit forward, for me it started young crisp fruits and then it open up with a more darker fruits like plumps figs some dark berries, it's very pleasant on a pellet medium viscosity and medium finish. Overall very enjoyable. Cognac and most importantly for me nothing was added to it like sugar....
Read more
Lovely fruit forward Cognac!!!
by Tony M.
30 Sep 2022
If many of you have read my reviews, you can quickly see that I tend to stick to mainly the Cognac, and not much small talk, but I'm going to add some comments to the end of this one. Young, crisp fruit greets the nose in the form of green apples and pear, almost reminding me of a young Calvados....
Read more
LÉSSENTIEL A12 - a really fine young cognac
by Wolfgang S.
30 Sep 2022
A fascinating young cognac with a complex fruity nose without wood or rancio, very fresh, citrus notes, pears, yellow plums. Rather dense and oily on the palate, also on lemons, pears and apples. Juicy and fresh - a pleasure to drink and absolutely not simple or boring. The finish is of medium length,...
Read more
The third edition of L’ESSENTIEL Season 2 is here, this time in direct collaboration with our friends and neighbors Conte & Filles just up the road in Chillac.
This vibrant youthful Cognac comes from a single plot of vines situated in Nonaville, in the Petite Champagne cru, called Le Tas de Pierre - the pile of stone in English. Sisters Blandine and Anne-Laure Conte state that this particular name is undoubtedly due to the especially chalky subsoil. Furthermore, this unique vineyard is located completely on an east-facing hillside, which allows the vines to receive the day’s first rays of sun, but which protects the vines from the late afternoon and evening drying warm winds from the west. The vines are considerably old - roughly 40 years to be exact - so the roots are firmly established and pierce deep to seek freshness.
“The eaux-de-vie from this plot are for us the fruitiest of the estate. The limestone brings fruity and complex aromas to the Cognacs from this plot.”
-Blandine and Anne-Laure Conte
Conte et Filles was a major revelation for us during 2022! Not only did we fall in love with their range of honest authentic fruit-forward Cognacs, but their manner of working is decidedly close to the soil, to make what they call Cognac de Terroirs. They are grower-distillers that do everything at the domaine from a to z - everything! Since they took the helm of the estate, chemical weed killers have become a thing of the past, favoring organic fertilizer instead. Additionally, they are committed to working the soil using the historical tools typically used to perform this ever-so-important work. This method of vineyard labor requires extreme precision and requires a very sound knowledge of the land to avoid soil erosion - not to mention a considerable amount of time out in the vines. All of this leads to healthier, cleaner, more lively soils - and of course, healthier vines and grapes.
What grabbed our attention about this particular Cognac to make it a must-bottle for L’ESSENTIEL? Some additional production information is needed to see the whole picture. This is an official 2010 vintage Cognac, bottled in August 2022. Hence, the A12 indication points to its 12 years of age. Interestingly, distillation took place without the lees. Anne-Laure and Blandine state that distilling with the lees typically gives a rounder eau-de-vie with a more exotic fruit aromatic profile, whereas distilling without the lees produces a finer eau-de-vie with a white-fruit aromatic profile. A common understanding is that distilling with the lees can lead to eaux-de-vie more apt for a long maturation - not something we sought with this 12 year old Cognac.
It is a single cask Cognac, cask N°49, and the Cognac spent its first year of life in a young 400 liter Tronçais oak barrel before being transferred to a very old 400 liter barrel to continue its maturation until bottling. The used barrel also comes from Tronçais oak.
“The majority of the Cognacs of the domain are made from Tronçais oak because the pores of the wood are tighter which brings less tannin and more delicate aromas.”
-Blandine and Anne-Laure Conte
The above two points are precisely the unique characteristics of this Cognac: distillation without lees and aging in Tronçais oak. Smelling and tasting this Cognac with the knowledge of the key production details leads to quite an educational experience. This L’ESSENTIEL A12 Conte & Filles is immensely fruity, bright, and fine!
The Cognac is bottled at 46.3% alcohol, with a final reduction taking place on July 29, 2022. The color is natural, and no chill-filtration occurred. No additives whatsoever were used.
In short: The excellent Le Tas de Pierre Petite Champagne hillside vineyard plot, sensible precise work in the vines, distillation without the lees, measured oak treatment with Tronçais oak only (not Limousin oak), and a natural “malternative” presentation for this 12 year old Cognac all contribute to produce a Cognac we simply couldn’t not bottle!
On the topic of malternatives…There is a lot of talk of “malternatives” these days - rightfully so. We love the attention it brings to Cognac the spirit and Cognac the region! Many of the recent Cognac bottlings deemed to be malternatives are mature 30, 40, 50, 60, etc. year old Cognacs (L’ESSENTIEL A29 Grosperrin and A45 Marancheville, for example). It’s not exactly easy to compare these uber-old Cognacs to many of the younger single malt whisky bottlings being released these days. Look around at official and independent bottler whisky today, and you’ll see a multitude of interesting offerings in the 7 to 20 year range, sometimes older, but rarely reaching the ages of some of the recent Cognac bottlings.
Generally speaking, for many official and independent bottlers of whisky, the 12 year old whisky, bottled at 46%, natural color, and non chill-filtered is the benchmark. Therefore, this L’ESSENTIEL A12 Conte & Filles is our take on 12 year old Cognac bottled at 46%, natural color, and non chill-filtered - our idea of a malternative!
Special thanks to Anne Laure and Blandine Conte, as well as Lise Mignon, for making this L’ESSENTIEL A12 happen and for raising Cognacs with this remarkable purity of fruit! And We’d be hard pressed to find nicer people in the region too!
Please enjoy, share with others, and always remember to slow down, reflect, and reunite - ralentir, reflechir, réunir. Santé !
$ 83
excl.
TAX
excl. shipping
Shipping US: $17/bottle
Limited stock
For a short explainer on the differences and similarities between Seasons 1 and 2 of L'ESSENTIEL, head over to this blog article. It's a worthwhile read as we have just now kicked off Season 2.
TASTING NOTES
Nose: Bright and lively, suggesting youthful freshness. Immense fruitiness: ripe pear, baked green apple, mirabelle plums, splash of sweet lemony citrus not unlike that of some mid-aged riesling. Lemon curd. A tiny dash of vanilla. A refreshing absence of oak and spice, no rancio. Very fine. Very fresh. Close to the distillate. If one thinks of the Cognac aroma wheel, this is firmly in the upper hemisphere of that wheel.
Palate: Lovely texture. Good acidity and juiciness. Excellent drinkability. Fresh and youthful but oh so pleasant. This is indeed distillate forward, not oak forward - and wow what a fruity Cognac it is! The same immense fruitiness from the nose appears: pears, mirabelle plums, other yellow plums, sweet lemon citrus, green apple applesauce. Taiwanese pineapple cake, lemon curd, both giving a pleasant touch of gourmandise. Cream.
Finish: Medium length, commendable but not one to contemplate for ages. A very inviting, cheerful Cognac. One smell and sip demands another, and another, and so on. Complexity is on point for its 12 years of age. A Cognac to drink and enjoy - the perfect “session” Cognac. A fascinating display of young un-messed with Petite Champagne character. While firmly a Cognac, the traces to some whisk(e)y is unmistakable, notably Teeling (Irish) and Aultmore.
