What We Know
- 48 years old (distilled in 1970, bottled in 2018)
- Petite Champagne
- Mostly Ugni Blanc, small percentages of Folle Blanche and Colombard
- Distilled on the lees
- Limousin oak
- All dry cellar aging
- 46.6%
- Additives: None, but very small reduction with water over many years
Nose
Soft vanilla, clover honey, black pepper, allspice, ginger, dried coconut, honeysuckle, jasmine, tobacco, undergrowth, hazelnut, lime zest, grapefruit juice, orange peel, yellow peach, plum, pineapple, papaya
Palate
Vanilla, brioche, clove, nutmeg, star anise, coconut flesh, fruit blossoms, jasmine, cocoa, toasted almond, gravel, lemon zest, grapefruit peel, dried apricot, pineapple, yellow raisin, unripe fig
Finish
Lemon zest, tropical fruit, jasmine
Overall Thoughts
Amber and copper in color with some reflections of orange flames. Flowers are the first thing to hit the nose. Tons of really beautiful notes of jasmine and honeysuckle. Tropical fruit and citrus follow closely behind. Lime zest really popped out to me as well as plums. Papaya and pineapple give this cognac a very juicy aroma. There are earthy undertones present after sitting in the glass for a while, including some hazelnut and wet soil.
On the palate, barrel spices are more present than the nose, but not aggressively. Clove and nutmeg give a little accented pop of flavor to the body. Again, flowers and pineapple are all over the place. The citrus turns more into lemon zest and grapefruit peel rather than the flesh of the fruit. A little bit of star anise and cocoa add a unique element. Toasted almond meets gravel on the back palate. The finish is all about bright citrus and tropical fruits, but that jasmine is really making its presence known. Way back on the sides of the tongue those flowers last for 5+ minutes.
I don’t know what I was expecting with the TTG Fradon Lot 70, but it wasn’t this. The quality was obviously going to be there, but I’m absolutely blown away in all aspects of this cognac. Since I’m trying to write a review, I can’t just say I’m speechless, but I want to. First of all, the nose makes me want to keep coming back for the entire day. Talk about aromatic! The flowers are stunning and the pineapple and other tropical fruits make their way through the entire glass. There’s something I can’t put my finger on that I can only describe as warmth. It’s like the cognac is hugging my nose.
Stereotypically, most Petite Champagne’s have a fairly abrupt finish that doesn’t last very long. While this cognac certainly isn’t the longest finish out there, it’s certainly more than I was anticipating. It has a pretty clean feel on the palate since it saw all of its aging in a dry cellar. The extra ABV surprisingly wasn’t very abrupt and didn’t seem to add any alcohol presence to the glass. Instead it highlighted all the great flavors. ABV should never be raised “just because.” It needs to add something to the overall character of the spirit. Fradon really nailed it with this expression. To sum it all up, I’d use three words: citrus, tropical, jasmine. This is one of the best things I’ve tasted in a long time. Outstanding!
Must try this!