What We Know
- Aged for at least four years
- Grande Champagne, blend
- Ugni Blanc
- Distilled on the lees
- Limousin oak used for aging
- 40% ABV
- Multiple IWSC and International Spirits Challenge awards, World Cognac Awards 2019 Silver Medal, Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2020
95 Points
Nose
Vanilla, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, gingerbread, fruit blossom, jasmine, milk chocolate, hazelnut, chalk, apple, lemon, burnt orange, cherry, blackberry
Palate
Caramel, vanilla, black pepper, cloves, nutmeg, flowers, dusty oak, pecan, gravel, apple, lemon, peach, cherry, hint of pineapple, papaya, raisin
Finish
Milk chocolate and nutmeg with a little black tea
Overall Thoughts
Golden amber in color with a little bit of copper. Frapin VSOP is a classic Grande Champagne Cognac. Really nice notes of flowers, apples, and burnt orange on the nose. There are dark cherries and blackberries that come through and even some gingerbread. Hazelnuts pair nicely with the honey and nutmeg. It has a great balance and aromatics. The palate was full of sweet barrel spices and tropical fruits like pineapple and papaya. The cherries showed up again along with pecans and vanilla. It has good acidity and finishes well with chocolate and black tea.
Frapin only deals with Grande Champagne, so they know what they’re doing and what they want out of their grapes. They control every aspect of the process from the vineyard to the bottle. This VSOP is a classic representation of their house style. Frapin tends to be a bit pricier than others, but considering the care put into everything and being situated in Grande Champagne, that’s understandable.
