Your cart
There are no more items in your cart
Deau Vintage 1975 Petite Champagne Cognac
Recommended 84 /100
- Cognac age
- Vintage
- Growth area
- Petite Champagne
- Bottle size
- 700ml
- ABV
- 40%
Taylor C.
Reviews written: 41 (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 !
Share this Review
URL copied to the clipboard
Deau Vintage 1975 Petite Champagne
Recommended 84 /100
Nose: This is a quieter nose. I can smell some power lurking - 48% abv - as the other notes take some time to get going. Once it opens up, there are ultra sharp chiseled tangerines and peaches. There is somewhat of an Orange Jolly Rancher note too - a hard candy I enjoyed often as a child. The Cognac smells very fresh and firm, and it must be said that the force from the oak is intertwined and perhaps masks a few of the other notes that may be inclined to come forward. I would not classify the smells as introverted or extroverted; everything is just there. I keep saying to myself, sharp and firm. We seem to have a Cognac of character on our hands here. This one needs time in the glass. Give it the time and you’ll be rewarded.
Palate: As expected, the Cognac is very full bodied and has the richness to go with it. There is a heftier weight to accompany the richness too. Maybe I’m falling into the traps set by my own preconceived generalizations of Cognac and Armagnac, but despite the richness, the full body, the heft, and the power, this Deau beauty still conveys a sense of finesse. It is indeed firm, and there is some good force coming from the oak, but it never goes out of bounds. There are fruits and they are as sharp as ever: peaches and apricots. There are orange and peach hard candy flavors too. Good stuff here. The higher abv may lead one to think the Cognac has a strong character, but the reality is that the balance and composure are pretty much dialled in.
Finish: The finish is warming and firm thanks to the higher alcoholic strength, but the underlying finesse of the Cognac prevents it from feeling rough, or brutal. The strength is there, and you can feel it as the Cognac goes down, but it never exceeds a level beyond warming. The lingering flavors are of dried peach fruits and rich oak.
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.
20/25
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?
20/25
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?
19/20
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?
8/10
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: 84/100
- 80-84: Recommended
- 85-89: Highly Recommended
- 90-95: Exceptional
- 96-100: Superlative