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Conte et Filles XXO Cognac
Recommended 84 /100
- Cognac age
- XXO
- Growth area
- Petite Champagne
- Bottle size
- 700ml
- ABV
- 40%
- Grape Varieties
- Ugni Blanc
Taylor C.
Reviews written: 37 (see reviews)
Average Score given: 86
Review Overview: Best & Most rated, All Reviewers & Reviews
Bio:
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 !
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Conte & Filles XXO
Highly Recommended 87 /100
Nose: Mirabelle plums (easily France's greatest plum), other yellow plums, a splash of lemony citrus, ginger, miel de citronnier. With time in the glass a touch of vanilla enters the scene along with mushy banana puree. The fruitiness is immense, and it straddles the line between fresh fruit and stewed fruit really nicely. It is a bright nose that evokes a strong sense of purity. And finally, its relative youth remains faithful to the distillate - no oak masking here.
Palate: Fresh and fruity. Mirabelle plum jam, lemon, sungold kiwi, stewed pear. Miel de citronnier. On first pour there is an interesting grassiness to it, which diminishes with time leaving room for a vanilla note to appear and adds a touch of gourmandise. After a good 30 minutes in the glass, a note of mushy crushed banana appears; I actually imagined for a second Gerber banana baby food - maybe I'm dreaming. There is a dusting of spices, but only a tiny dusting. The 40% abv tempers the youthfulness of the spirit. Good density. The same sense of purity from the nose carries over to the palate.
Finish: Short to medium. Slightly bitter note. Fresh/stewed fruits slowly fade away.
Lovely Cognac. A very welcomed break from more spice-laden, rancio, mature Cognacs. Keep in mind, I generally prefer younger fresher Cognacs.
I'd also add this tiptoes close to malternative territory. This could indeed make for some interesting side-by-side tastings with some similarly aged malt whiskies.
Tags
Flavour
Tasting
Nose
What aromas do you get when you sniff the Cognac? Do you get hints of fruits or flowers - perhaps it's sweet? Is it intense or rather flat - and most importantly, is the nose coherent to taste and finish? The nose is the most important part when tasting Cognac.
22/25
What aromas do you get when you sniff the Cognac? Do you get hints of fruits or flowers - perhaps it's sweet? Is it intense or rather flat - and most importantly, is the nose coherent to taste and finish? The nose is the most important part when tasting Cognac.
Mouth
A small sip: Allow your taste buds in the various areas of your mouth to distinguish the different flavours. This part of cognac tasting is described as ‘the palate’. Don’t just swallow it down; allow the liquid to touch all the regions of the mouth. Doing this is necessary as the taste buds pick up contrasting flavours in the different areas of the mouth; on the tip of your tongue to the sides, for example. Take a tiny sip to prep your palate for the sensory experience to come. Take a second larger sip, and gently roll the cognac around, etting it come into contact with every corner of your mouth. Focus on the perceived textural sensations. Are the sensations round and rich or fresh and elegant? Is the overall mouthfeel intense, balanced, disjointed, or lacking presence? In short, how does the cognac feel in your mouth?
17/20
A small sip: Allow your taste buds in the various areas of your mouth to distinguish the different flavours. This part of cognac tasting is described as ‘the palate’. Don’t just swallow it down; allow the liquid to touch all the regions of the mouth. Doing this is necessary as the taste buds pick up contrasting flavours in the different areas of the mouth; on the tip of your tongue to the sides, for example. Take a tiny sip to prep your palate for the sensory experience to come. Take a second larger sip, and gently roll the cognac around, etting it come into contact with every corner of your mouth. Focus on the perceived textural sensations. Are the sensations round and rich or fresh and elegant? Is the overall mouthfeel intense, balanced, disjointed, or lacking presence? In short, how does the cognac feel in your mouth?
Taste
Quite simply, what do you taste as you gently roll the cognac around in your mouth? Pay close attention to any flavors of fruits, flowers, oak, and spices - or a complex combination of those elements. Are the flavors cohesive with the Nose and the Mouth, giving a sense of balance and complexity?
23/25
Quite simply, what do you taste as you gently roll the cognac around in your mouth? Pay close attention to any flavors of fruits, flowers, oak, and spices - or a complex combination of those elements. Are the flavors cohesive with the Nose and the Mouth, giving a sense of balance and complexity?
Finish
The ‘finish’ is the experience you get after you’ve swallowed the cognac. What flavours can you detect? Is it a flat or rough finish and rather sharp, or is it a slight 'punch' you like? How long does the finish last? Also think about overall balance: How does the finish compare to nose and taste?
16/20
The ‘finish’ is the experience you get after you’ve swallowed the cognac. What flavours can you detect? Is it a flat or rough finish and rather sharp, or is it a slight 'punch' you like? How long does the finish last? Also think about overall balance: How does the finish compare to nose and taste?
Overall Impression
Consider the Nose, Mouth, Taste, and Finish simultaneously - the cognac as a whole. Is there cohesion between the four categories, or does the cognac shine in some areas and appear dull in others? Quite simply, is the memory from the tasting experience one that will last your lifetime; is the memory good but nothing extraordinary; or is the cognac’s impact entirely forgettable?
9/10
Consider the Nose, Mouth, Taste, and Finish simultaneously - the cognac as a whole. Is there cohesion between the four categories, or does the cognac shine in some areas and appear dull in others? Quite simply, is the memory from the tasting experience one that will last your lifetime; is the memory good but nothing extraordinary; or is the cognac’s impact entirely forgettable?
Total: 87/100
- 80-84: Recommended
- 85-89: Highly Recommended
- 90-95: Exceptional
- 96-100: Superlative