Taylor C.

Avis écrits : 41 (see reviews)

Note moyenne attribuée : 86

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Biographie :

French wine, and the concept of terroir, captured my interest early on. Naturally, curiosity took me to spirits, in particular Cognac. Today I'm proud to be a member of the Cognac Expert team managing B2B projects, working on Cognac Expert Originals, and writing bottle reviews for the English Blog. I love to taste anything and everything - rum/rhum, whisky(ey), Armagnac, etc. - but no other spirit grabs my attention quite like Cognac, and all of its subtleties and nuance. Santé !

Chainier Millesime 1989 Grande Champagne

Highly Recommended 88 /100

Nose: With time in the glass, the Cognac’s aromas waft from the glass. First, there’s ultra-fine fresh grated vanilla and tingly fall spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and allspice. Lately I’ve been drinking a lot of Christmas Tea, which has loads of these soft warming spices. Then comes the fruit, but here the fruits are heading more towards stewed fruits, verging on jammy fruits. I imagine a pot in which apricots, peaches, quince and orange peel are all stewing away coated with a generous dusting of the above spices. This is an utterly lovely nose. It’s pure, elegant, and seductive and demands to be smelled over and over again. And this one must not be rushed. With each passing minute the nose evolves, so it would be a shame to miss out on all that it has to offer.

Palate: In the mouth, the Cognac is extremely balanced and has a rich texture that coats all corners of the mouth. The tug of war between the stewed fruits and the spice mix is perfect. And all of the above fruit and spice notes are present. Also, a very high quality fruit paste - apricot or quince - immediately comes to mind (Fruit pastes are a recent discovery of mine. Go to any fine epicerie here in France, and you’ll likely see a large offering of these artisanal fruit pastes. They’re not to be missed.). There is also an interesting mouthfeel sensation in that the overall feeling is of lightness and finesse, but swirling the Cognac around in the mouth a little confirms that there is in fact an elevated roundness and richness. These are seemingly contradictory descriptors, but I see it as a major positive when a Cognac that is inherently rich can deliver itself on the palate with this graceful feeling of lightness.

Finish: Solid finish. There is no disappearing act thankfully, nor do the Cognac’s flavors and sensations last an eternity either. Once the Cognac is swallowed, the flavors and sensations slowly fade out. No bitterness. No abrasive wood tannins. No tea astringency. No strong footprint from the oak. The fruit and spice flavors have a nice persistence. I found it extremely pleasant to finish a sip of this Cognac keeping my mouth closed and then simultaneously reach for the glass to continue to smell the wafty aromas.

Chainier has definitely selected something special with this 1989 vintage Cognac.

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Mots clés

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Saveur

Bois 7/10

Pimenter 7/10

Fruit 7/10

Fleur 4/10

Conception de bouteille / emballage 4/5

Où est l'amour? Ordinaire Joli Beau Un spectacle à voir !

Le rapport qualité prix 4/5

Trop cher Low Moyenne Bonne affaire Voler