Michel Forgeron Lot 92 Grande Champagne Cognac 700ml, 47% ABV

Single cask 1992 vintage Cognac

Nose: Rich, powerful. The medicinal (mustard poultice) and camphoric first nose gradually becomes more and more empyreumatic (apricot stone, beeswax) and hot (Espelette pepper). Allowed to breathe, the aroma palette becomes more candied (pear, prune), balsamic (cedar, thuja), exotic (pineapple, flambeed banana) and vegetal (tobacco, lucerne). Iris notes then fragrance the air.

Palate: Refined, slender. The very generous attack reveals precise flavours of cocoa, rice powder, vanilla (pod) and cumin. The exotic mid-palate (passion fruit, persimmon, banana) is refreshed with succulent lemon notes. The end of the palate is undeniably balsamic (pine, lime blossom) and heady (honeysuckle, hawthorn).

Finish: Long, consistent. At the start of the finish, noble spices (cardamom, nutmeg, clove) get the measure of a wood that forms the backbone of the flavour palette. Oily (olive) and vegetal (pipe tobacco), the end of the finish wavers between flavours of apricot, very ripe banana and nuts (walnut, chestnut).

Founded in 1909, this farm estate in Segonzac, in the terroir of Grande Champagne, was planted entirely with grapevines in 1960, when Michel Forgeron took back control of the site. It was not until 1977 that the first Michel Forgeron cognacs were created. The estate, whose vineyard has grown to 27 hectares, is directed by his son Christophe. With remarkable complexity, this version’s palette of flavours and aromas develops at the pace of medicinal, fruity, herbaceous, floral, spicy and woody sequences whose richness are rivalled only by their nobility.