This stunning "Age du Fruit" edition of Léopold Gourmel XO is a true celebration of fruit in all its forms, from candied to fresh and even dried fruits. It's rich, aromatic flavor profile offers a creamy texture that coats the palate and finishes on a wonderfully fresh and zesty finish.
The estate itself was established by Pierre Voisin and Olivier Bland in 1972 (and was named Léopold Gourmel as a homage to his grandfather). This particular XO is a pure millésime, aged in extra fine grain Limousin oak barrels in the traditional way.
The lack of toasting and choice in cask means there is a lack of caramel, oaky or smoky accents to the XO, and its fruit flavors really come to fruition, permeating on both palate and nose in a sophisticated succession of aromas.
Fruit really is the star of the show with this exquisite and expertly produced Cognac from Léopold Gourmel. On the nose, you'll enjoy the sweeter tones of candied fruits followed by fresh yellow-fleshed fruits like apricot, a delicate hint of acidity hits the senses in the form of citrus fruits (notably orange), a light hint of almond lingers on the second nose of dried fruits, specifically raisins.
These fresh and fruity flavors of replicated on the palate, blending seamlessly with the creamy texture that coats the mouth and cheeks before a fresh finish of lemon, orange zest and liqueur wine.
This Cognac is ideal to enjoy after a light dinner served with white wine, preferably following a fish course. It goes equally well with Nordic cuisine as it does with Asian cuisine.
As this XO has a wonderfully rich texture and fuller flavor profile, we recommend enjoying it neat in a traditional snifter glass.
An understated and classic bottle proudly displaying the XO's golden color, the matching golden yellow elements on the labeling not only reinforce the superior "10 carat" quality of this precious gem, but equally recall the fresh yellow-flesh fruits found in its flavor profile.
This cognac house has always relied on natural processes. From growing the grapes to picking, maturing, distilling, aging and bottling them, Gourmel cognac is free of any chemicals, pesticides or additives to enhance color in respect of nature and the final product. The philosophy of the company is to concentrate on quality not quantity, which means that one year the outcome may be higher than in others. This is further shown by the radical decision to produce only pure vintage cognacs, so there is no blending of different years in order to create VS, VSOP or XO cognacs for instance. To go with this authentic approach, the design of Gourmel is simple and modern.
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