Godet Millésime Fins Bois 1970 Cognac
- Cognac age
- Vintage
- Growth area
- Fins Bois
- Bottle size
- 700ml
- ABV
- 43.1%
Taylor C.
Reviews written: 41 (see reviews)
Average Score given: 86
Review Overview: Best & Most rated, All Reviewers & Reviews
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 !
Godet Fins Bois 1970
Nose: Oh wow this smells incredibly fruity. This is all sorts of oranges in all forms and drippy oozy yellow peaches. The fruit is not candied or dried but more stewed. I envision a pot with fresh cut oranges and peaches stewing away on a low fire. There is an earthiness underneath that makes the fruits feel slightly dirty, but it is definitely for the better in this case. It adds a sense of complexity and prevents the nose from being just a one-dimensional fruity nose. Also, the smells give off a great sense of maturity. It oozes; it almost wafts out of the glass. It’s almost as if you can smell the long years the eau de vie spent aging in barrel. Everything smells very “fondu”, a French word for melted. I would be content just to smell this all night!
Palate: First off, the 43.1% abv is just perfect on this Cognac. There is enough body to carry the fruity and earthy flavors across the palate into the finish. The flavors themselves are indeed very melted. The oranges, yellow peaches, and even some tangerines form a perfect marriage and blend together with the earthy rancio notes that only age can bring. There is a little miel de fleurs as well. The texture deserves mentioning too. As the Cognac coats all corners of my mouth, I can sense great richness but without any heft. The Cognac is flavor rich and texturally rich but still light and graceful. This is what the finest Cognacs can do best: richness and lightness. Those two seemingly conflicting sensations are on full display here. This is complex. This is balanced. This is easy to drink yet can still hold anyone’s attention. For my palate, this is just about perfect.
Finish: The Cognac finishes with sweet notes from the aforementioned fruits. The tannins are very fine and give a little tingle to the sides of my mouth as it is swallowed. The entire length of my tongue seems coated with the lingering flavors from before. Everything else thereafter is a slow fade out before I reach for the glass again to take another smell and sip. Perfect!
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.
23/25
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?
19/20
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?
24/25
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?
17/20
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: 92/100
- 80-84: Recommended
- 85-89: Highly Recommended
- 90-95: Exceptional
- 96-100: Superlative