What We Know
- Age of 4-5 years
- Grande Champagne, blend
- Ugni Blanc, 100% organic
- Distilled on the lees
- Limousin oak used for aging
- 20% of the barrels used are new
- 40% ABV
- Additives: none
Nose
Vanilla, honey, cinnamon, nutmeg, jasmine, fruit blossom, Granny Smith apple, pear, lemon meringue, honeydew, orange zest, apricot, yellow raisin, angel food cake
Palate
Caramel, honey, butterscotch, allspice, ginger, coconut, light oak, candied almond, mineral, flowers, apple, pear, lemon zest, grapefruit peel, white peach, grape juice, mango, lychee
Finish
Cinnamon and tropical fruits with some dry cedar
Overall Thoughts
Soft yellow hue with flashes of gold. The nose is alive with a lot of fruits. You get pear and green apple right away coupled with some honey and citrus. Yellow raisins and honeydew are also present. There is a bit of a lemon meringue note and some angel food cake. That one took a minute to figure out, but I was reminded of childhood birthday cakes. We could also just say “baked goods” here to simplify it. There are definitely floral aspects like jasmine, too. The palate mostly matched the nose in terms of fruitiness, but there were some extra tropical fruits like mango and what I believe to be lychee. There was also a little bit of almond, grapefruit peel, and a strong minerality. Baking spices were more obvious than on the nose. The finish was a medium length of cinnamon and tropical fruits, good amount of acid.
This Cognac is a lively and fresh one. It’s definitely more fruit forward and juicy. While the nose and palate share a lot of similarities, there’s definitely enough differences to keep you intrigued. I enjoy the fact that this is a VSOP level Cognac, but didn’t really hit me with all the baking spices and oak like some brands will try to focus on. It’s the grape that is being showcased here very well. With no additives whatsoever, you know you’ve got the real deal.
The age statement on the bottle is a unique addition and not very common at all with Cognac. JLP is definitely going outside the box in that they’ve chosen to include the compte number on the bottle. This is yet another step that they’ve taken to show you exactly what you’re getting in your glass. Another positive thing to note here is that JLP has been committed to 100% organic farming since 1998. If you want something a bit different than your standard offerings at this age range, I think this would be an enjoyable addition to your home bar.
