Review by Serge Valentin (Whiskyfun) :
"This one’s a Grande Champagne. It’s difficult to find some information about the house Coutanseaux, but it seems that’s it got a super-high reputation and what’s more, I’ve seen that the Wellesley Hotel in London was pouring a 1767 Coutanseaux for around £9,000 a measure. Too bad it’s not a 1776, our American friends would have loved it. Colour: amber. Nose: epic and sublime. Walnuts, honeydew, cigar tobacco, fresh pollen, dried figs, dates, orange blossom, bergamots, maraschino, natural marzipan, genuine gingerbread (like containing 50% honey or more)... A truly amazing nose, this should be old and contain quite some ‘pardise’ cognac. Mouth: in keeping with the nose, with dates and figs, raisins, honey cake, pecans, a tobacco-like rancio, old oloroso, more walnuts... It’s all becoming drier, towards bone-dry Madeira, which is the kind of development I just cherish. Finish: medium and dry, on more oloroso, tobacco, bitter chocolate... While some lighter touches of marmalade are lifting the aftertaste. And raisins! Comments: this one’s quite extraordinary, I have to say. To think that I had never heard of Coutanseaux before..."