Conte et Filles 2013 Fins Bois Cognac

Conte et Filles 2013 Fins Bois Cognac

The Limited Edition Conte & Filles Fins Bois 2013 is a single cask Cognac coming from a plot of vines situated in the Fins Bois cru - specifically in the commune of Saint Aulais La Chapelle, in the tiny subdivision named Maine Vignard - just a few kilometers up the road from Poullignac. This alone is interesting as Conte & Filles's principal plots of vines are in the Petite Champagne cru, where they capture the elegant pure fruit that those chalky hillside slopes produce so well. This plot of vines is situated at an altitude of 95 meters, which is relatively elevated for the region.

The deep clay and limestone terroir permits the vine roots to easily pierce the soil to obtain all the nutrients they need. Anne-Laure and Blandine Conte mention that this specific terroir tends to give eau-de-vie which are more floral, and less on dense white fruits than their Petite Champagne terroirs.

Concerning distillation, the wine was distilled without the lees, which produces finer more elegant Cognacs as those distilled with the lees. Perhaps such Cognacs are not as apt to age for as long a time, but for younger bottlings like this 2013 bottling, the finesse and elegance is unmistakable. In the cellar, the eau-de-vie saw zero new oak barrels, instead only used very old Tronçais barrels with their finer grain. The cellar conditions are moderate, somewhere between humid and dry.

The Cognac was bottled in February 2023 from a single cask (Cask N°21) at 45.3% alcohol for increased structure, enhanced texture, and more support to the beautifully floral and zesty fruitiness. As always with the domaine, the Cognac was bottled at its natural color, unchill-filtered and with no other additives whatsoever.

The Limited Edition Conte et Filles Fins Bois 2013 shows remarkable finesse, florality, and clean zesty fruit. Enjoy it neat as an aperitif Cognac, but its increased abv level will allow the Cognac to stand up to cocktails and other mixology projects. Make no mistake about it though, this is young Cognac done right!