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Vallein Tercinier Brut de Fût 1990 Single Cask Cognac

Highly Recommended 85 /100

see 3 reviews

Growth area
Bons Bois
Bottle size
700ml
ABV
42.9%

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 !

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Brut de Fut 1990 Single Cask

Highly Recommended 87 /100

Eye: Amber. Like most brut de fût Cognacs, this Cognac leaves a thick-ish disk on the glass as the glass walls are coated. Consistent slow moving legs crawl down the glass.

Nose: Dipping my nose into the glass, I immediately get notes of vanilla and creamy black licorice. With just a few minutes of air, the Cognac gets quite patissier - a word I’ve used in the past to suggest all things dessert-oriented. What comes to mind are financiers, canelé dough, madeleines, and crème brûlée. So imagine a wave of those unmistakable French dessert pastry notes, specifically ones with a heavy dose of almond powder. There are fruit notes lurking in the distance, but they are more of the candied and caramelized varieties: candied figs, plums and apricots. With even more time in the glass, the aromas get a little musky, which is a positive thing. I’d classify the nose as quite obvious in that everything’s right there in front of you. It’s complex and balanced, yet relatively easy to understand. For a single cask brut de fût bottling, the smells alone are incredibly accessible and inviting.

Palate: Melted: the first word I uttered after swallowing a sip. I think of a melted Cognac as one whose flavors have all integrated to create a sum which is better than the parts. The flavors to be listed are all present but not one of them stands out, or leads the way. For sake of analogy, think of soups and other braised dishes that always seem to improve on day two, after a night and half a day in the fridge. Their flavors melt and work better together as one integrated unit after some settling time. And while each individual ingredient flavor is harder to pick out, it’s clear they are all there contributing something. That’s what’s going on with this Cognac - it’s melted. So about those flavors, I taste vanilla, canelé, rum and raisin ice cream, licorice, and the candied fruits mentioned above. Overall, the palate is tremendously composed and in full balance. It comes off as a masterfully blended XO or Extra or Hors d’Age bottling. What a compliment since it says a lot about the inherent quality of the eaux-de-vie when a single barrel brut de fût comes off as a skillful blend.

Finish: The finish is where I’d say its cask strength nature returns to remind the taster of what he or she is tasting. There is a slight grip on the finish and an overall impression of something bittersweet. It’s really very lovely and a great gateway to overproof Cognac.

Tags

  • Almond
  • Candied Fruit
  • Fresh Fig
  • Hazelnut
  • Liquorice
  • Oak
  • Pastry
  • Plum
  • Spices
  • Vanilla

Flavour

Wood 7/10

Spice 8/10

Fruit 6/10

Flower 4/10

Bottle / Package Design 4/5

Where is the Love? Ordinary Nice Beautiful A sight to be seen!

Value for Money 5/5

Overpriced Low Average Bargain Steal

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

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

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?

22/25

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

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

Total: 87/100

  • 80-84: Recommended
  • 85-89: Highly Recommended
  • 90-95: Exceptional
  • 96-100: Superlative
Flat Acceptable Fine Excellent Ethereal Thin & weak Disjointed Balanced Exquisite Bland Ordinary Good Excellent Spectacular Non-existent, or rough Acceptable Good Memorable Endless Uninspiring, or rough Ordinary Good Excellent Memorable
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