Hermitage 45yo Segonzac (2nd Release)

Hermitage 45yo Segonzac (2nd Release)

Brandy: Cognac
From: Grande Champagne
Style: Single distillery
House: Hermitage
Colour: Walnut
ABV: 43.5%

N: molasses, raisins, tobacco leaf, prunes, dried apricots, dried pears.

M: Medium body, tingly, cool, slightly astringent

T: Sweet. Menthol, raisins, leather, watermelon, dried pears, black tea, hints of tobacco leaf.

F: Long. Menthol, watermelon, cinnamon, dried pears, hints of leather.

Comments:

Well now, this is a real treat - 45 years in wood, heaps of flavour, just a little rancio, taking the form of a leather tobacco pouch. I think this is the second release, the first release was just a tad stronger in ABV terms. Age has somehow given this brandy an intense booming flavour profile. It goes on and on and on, I was still tasting this the day after, like the best malt whiskies.

I particularly loved the menthol notes on the tongue and on the finish. It was cooling and refreshing, making this a summer dram rather than a winter one.

Verdict:

Magnificent.

Villa Zarri 1991 23yo

Villa Zarri 1991 23yo

Brandy: Stravecchio
From: Emilia Romagna
House: Villa Zarri
Style: Single distillery, single vintage
Colour: Copper amber
ABV: 45%

N: Orange peel, red grapes, honeydew melons, pear drops, watermelon skin.

M: Light body, loosens, astringent, tingly.

T: Bitter sweet. Shortcrust pastry, orange blossom honey, orange peel, raisins, watermelon skin, cinnamon, hints of camphor.

F: Long. Orange peel, peaches, honeydew melon, cinnamon.

Comments:

This brandy is... different. It's got far less body than say a cognac of equivalent age, managing somehow to remain light and even airy on the tongue. But the flavours are complex and intense, with plenty of citrus and honey, with something grassy and herbal - let's say watermelon skin. It then eases out slowly and gradually, with a lovely sweet finish with a hint of spice.

Villa Zarri is another vineyard in Emilia Romagna that mostly makes wine, but also makes brandy with its best grapes. I really enjoyed this - it's almost as if brandy is a side hustle in Italy and Spain, and is made with verve and love, tasting truly excellent. Let's call this one magnificent, at least for my palate.

Verdict:

Magnificent.

Vecchia Romagna 35yo Riserva

Vecchia Romagna 35yo Riserva

Brandy: Stravecchio
From: Emilia Romagna
House: Vecchia Romagna
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Amber gold
ABV: 40%

N: damson jam, raisins, dried apricots, cinnamon, blackberry cordial, hints of konbu.

M: Heavy body, slippery, unctuous, mouth coating.

T: Sweet salty. Damson jam, cinnamon, black tea, konbu, dried apricots, cornflakes, hints of dark chocolate.

F: Long. Cinnamon, dried apricots, cornflakes, black tea, hints of mint.

Comments:

Time - there's nothing like it for aging spirits, and it's as true for brandy as it is for whisky. Time passes quicker in wood than in glass, although it does pass in glass. 35 years in wood has made this brandy smooth and unctuous, lipsmackingly good in the mouth. It's no slouch on the tongue either, chockful of dried apricots and cinnamon, with a savoury hint of konbu.

Time has a flavour, although it's undefinable. It's almost a merging of flavours, a shaving off of harsh edges, somehow blending all the various flavour notes into a harmonious whole. And you can always tell, I think, if a lot of time has gone into a particular spirit.

Verdict:

Magnificent.

Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva

Cardenal Mendoza Solera Gran Reserva

Brandy: Brandy de Jerez
From: Jerez
House: Sanchez Romate
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Dark amber, hints of red
ABV: 42%

N: Raisins, red grapes, walnuts, candied oranges, orange blossom honey, dark chocolate, hints of iron filings.

M: Heavy body, syrupy, cool, mouth coating.

T: Sweet. Walnuts, walnut skins, raisins, rum and raisin ice cream, dark chocolate, orange blossom honey, hints of lemon curd.

F: Long. Red grapes, walnut skins, iron filings, candied oranges, fresh baked bread.

Comments:

Well, this is a lot like its sibling, the Carta Real. I believe that one is older, yet I felt this, the Solera Gran Reserva, had many more layers, despite it being relatively less intense. There were at least three distinct layers, or flavour groups. The first, and most obvious, was the intense sweetness, almost reminiscent of Pedro Ximenez sherry. This first layer had overtones of red grapes, raisins and orange honey. Then, there was a bitter, slightly metallic layer underneath that, mostly dark chocolate and walnuts. And last of all, something citrusy and light, which lifted the brandy for me.

Is it possible to find too many flavour notes in your spirit? Perhaps. If so, this one may be the example that proves the rule. Taking a step back and looking at my tasting notes, I am baffled as to how many flavour notes I managed to find. Normally, it's no more than 4 to 5 per category, but here I am pushing 6 or 7. Yet I distinctly remember tasting them. This brandy is certainly unusual in its complexity, and I really enjoyed drinking it.

Verdict:

Magnificent.

Cardenal Mendoza Carta Real

Cardenal Mendoza Carta Real

Brandy: Brandy de Jerez
From: Jerez
House: Sanchez Romate
Style: Single distillery
Colour: Mahogany
ABV: 40%

N: Red grapes, rum and raisin ice cream, walnut wood, date honey, dried apricots, hints of dark chocolate.

M: Heavy body, sticky, thickens, round.

T: Sweet. Prunes, date honey, raisins, cloves, walnut wood, walnut skins, hints of tobacco leaf.

F: Long. Walnut skins, prunes, date honey, dried apricots, dark chocolate.

Comments:

Right, my first venture outside France, in terms of brandy, at least. This is solera aged, with an average age of between 25 and 30 years old, so there's some very, very old stuff in this spirit. It's gloriously sweet, as befits a sherry brandy, and it's also rich and sticky, and round. The last is how I best describe this feeling I get when I smack my lips after wetting them with the brandy - somehow unctuous and lip-coating, as if my pursed lips were rounder.

Sweet flavours abound, of course, but on the nose and on the tongue, there are also some woody notes, and these turn bitter. There's dark chocolate too, accentuating the bitterness, and herbaceous tobacco. In fact, as I smell the empty glass, the woody and herbal notes predominate, becoming almost cedar like. All that fades to a long, bittersweet finish.

Yes, I really do like sherry brandy, despite the fact that sweet spirits aren't usually my thing. I like sweet flavours, like fruit and flowers, but I don't like them to taste sweet, as a rule. But this, well, this is an exception. Highly sugared, with deep layers of flavour, it's wonderful brandy.

Verdict:

Magnificent.

Chateau de Lacquy 1947 (bottled 1970s)

Chateau de Lacquy 1947 (bottled 1970s)

Brandy: Armagnac
From: Bas Armagnac
House: Chateau de Lacquy
Style: Single distillery, single vintage
Colour: Amber red
ABV: 44%

N: Malted milk, leather, prunes, coffee, butterscotch

M: Medium body, slippery, loosens, cool

T: Sweet salty. Prunes, leather, sea salt, Japanese ume, coffee, jasmine tea, lemon juice

F: Long. Raisins, prunes, Japanese ume, coffee, hints of chocolate

Comments:

Sometimes, I get very, very lucky. There was a smidgen of this spirit available at a reasonable price. It's the oldest spirit I have ever tasted, and what a privilege it was!

The classic prune notes of Armagnac stand out, of course, but it's married to old leather and coffee, and heaps of complex savoury notes. The leather and coffee don't have the slight cheesiness of what one might call rancio, instead, they're gentle, complementing the harder to analyse savoury notes. Those come in the second layer of flavour, intensifying and almost replacing the prune notes. These are a combination of sea salt, some floral jasmine, and salty preserved Japanese plum, or ume.

The last was familiar. I've had Chateau de Lacquy before, and I'll dig out that old tasting note and republish it here.

Verdict:

Magnificent.