Malternative Belgium Cognac No. 18 Laurichesse

This exceptional single cask cognac from the mid 1970s is a Grande Champagne of the highest level. Handmade on a wood fired small Alambic Charentaise and then kept with great care until the bottling date 30/06/2022.

This cognac is a sister cask of the successful Malternative release #16. In consultation with Olivier and Léa Laurichesse, they came to an agreement in May 2022 to bottle not 1 but 2 barrels and release them in 2022, both bottled on 30/06/2022. An opportunity that you should not miss, we speak here of exceptional Grande Champagne cognac. Expect an explosion of fruit that is so beautifully balanced. Ripe apricots and mango lead the way. In combination with the ripe notes of pineapple, we also get influences from red fruits such as cherries and berries. The balance of acidity, sweetness and spiciness is so beautifully integrated. This cognac is wonderfully aged and has a majestic aftertaste.

Another gem of a cognac!

About the producer:

Olivier Laurichesse and Léa are both from Segonzac, this is where their roots lie.

Olivier comes from a family with a long history in viticulture and cognac distillation. Olivier continued his studies in wine and oenology and gained his first work experience in Alsace and Médoc and returned to his "own terroir" in 2003. In 2015, Olivier started independently with 40 ha of vineyards located in Verrières and Angeac-Champagne located in the Grande Champagne, the first cru of the cognac region.

Léa obtained a bachelor's degree in wine and spirit trading in 2008 and then went on to do a 3-month internship in New York America for an importer-distributor of spirits. She then resumed her studies at university and in 2010 she met Olivier. In 2018, a marriage and 3 children later, they launched "laurichesse cognac" together to promote the barrels of cognac that Olivier's father, Guy Laurichesse, distilled in the 1970s (on a small 12 hl alambic).

They also now distil cognac themselves from their own vineyards. Guy had handed over the keys to his chai, a hidden cellar at the back of the garden of wine residence in Segonzac, to his son in 2018. What makes this cognac unique is that it is a single cask and has not been blended over the years. Very unique spirits that were never commercialized and that only waited for the next generation to convince the enthusiasts of its great qualities and aromas. Grande Champagne cognac at its peak!

In the late summer of 2021, during a cognac trip, we went to pick up our daily fresh bread at the bakery on the square in Segonzac. This beautiful municipality is the regular base when Malternative is in France. Here they were pointed out that the neighbor across the street also had a cognac house. Many times they passed this little square without realizing that behind that brown gate a treasure of sublime cognac was hidden. Malternative got in touch and a first visit followed in December 2021. The sweet and down-to-earth owners Olivier and Léa introduced them to their family business.