Grosperrin Cognac 1980 Fins Bois

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 53.3% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Long maturation in very dry cellars shapes this 1980 Fins Bois Cognac. It comes from a small farm established in 1930 in Sainte-Sévère, on the border with Borderies. The soils are clay-rich and siliceous, with flint. As the winegrower had no still of his own, he took his wines to a nearby professional distiller. The 1980 vintage yielded a very small harvest; temperatures fell as low as −10 °C during grape picking.

Financial difficulties at the farm led to the eaux-de-vie being stored at ORECO. Grosperrin discovered them there after more than 40 years of maturation. Before its alcohol content was reduced, this Cognac was still at 67.5%; it was bottled at 53.3%. Grosperrin purchased Lot N°993 from the winegrower's widow. The lot comprised 357 litres.

The Cognac is bottled without sugar, caramel colouring or boisé, a wood extract. Gentle filtration at ambient temperature replaces chill filtration. The 0.7-litre bottle comes with gift packaging.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, floral and spicy impressions mingle with mahogany wood and warm flint. Subtle sweet spices, gingerbread and dried flowers add to the bouquet, alongside exotic fruit and pronounced rancio notes.
• Palate: The palate opens with a lively, dry, mineral character. It is full-bodied, with tart grapes, apples and pears accompanied by a little flint, black pepper, fresh flowers and sweetish oak.
• Finish: The long finish is peppery, with evolving rancio notes.

Distillery/Bottler:

Grosperrin grew out of the work of a Cognac broker: from 1992 onwards, Jean Grosperrin became acquainted with numerous small distillers and their stocks. In 1999, he bought several casks of old Cognac himself to keep their individual qualities from disappearing into large blends. His son Guilhem took over the family business in 2004, developing cooperation with winegrowers and the further maturation of Cognacs alongside the selection of old stocks.

Since 2012, the house has used 19th-century cellars beside the Charente in Saintes. Its approach includes handling each lot separately and maintaining traceable origins. For vintage Cognacs, cask operations and bottling are overseen by a bailiff; sealed, numbered bottles ensure traceability.

Facts: