Prunier 1996 / Lot 68 / Lot 56 / Lot 51 / Lot 40 (Wine4You)

Our occasional cognac overview focuses as soon as once more on Prunier, a home that’s fairly common amongst impartial (whisky) bottlers. We begin with a 1996 classic and return to the Nineteen Sixties and Fifties, ending with a Lot 40.

All of those bottles are imported to Belgium by Wine4You. They’ve an enormous vary of Prunier cognacs, verify our earlier periods right here or right here. Most (if not all) of the bottles we’re attempting right now are basic releases although, to allow them to be present in different nations too.

Prunier Cognac Classic 1996 ‘Fins Bois’ (49,5%, OB +/- 2021)

Nostril: elegant, with a beneficiant fruity base. Contemporary oranges, apples and peaches. Oily notes and some floral touches. A pleasant steadiness between earthy spice, refined varnished notes and chic fruits.

Mouth: an analogous floral profile with a few of the alcohol displaying – there’s a pointy edge that provides away its (relative!) youth. Stewed fruits, primarily nectarines and tangerines. Hints of mirabelles jam. Delicate rancio. Then it evolves in the direction of liquorice, mint and resinous notes.

End: medium size, contemporary and minty, with underlying white pepper and the lightest trace of oaky dryness.

A really nice profile, fairly traditional and all-round. Good Fins Bois fruits and a vibrant, middle-aged construction with loads of floral touches. Good begin of this session, and a extremely good classic. Round € 115.

Prunier Cognac Lot 68 ‘Petite Champagne’ (54,1%, OB +/- 2021)

Nostril: a extra oily and leathery profile, much less fruity than the 1996. I discover extra tobacco leaves, extra rancio undoubtedly, and a faint trace of almonds and marzipan. Delicate cinnamon. Pretty wooden polish as properly.

Mouth: certainly this lacks a little bit of the fruits, as an alternative displaying extra mentholated notes, aniseed and peppercorns. Extra almonds, in addition to grapefruits. Whiffs of patchouli, incense and cedar wooden.

End: medium, with a pleasant floral be aware, oak spice and a contemporary minty trace.

Very elegant once more, albeit extra on the natural and minty notes this time, with much less fruits. Good punch too. Round € 390. Rating: 88/100

Prunier Cognac Lot 56 ‘Petite Champagne’ (52,8%, OB +/- 2021, 570 btl.)

Nostril: a tad subdued. There’s candy fruit tea with natural notes, in addition to some honeysuckle and hints of previous cigar bins. Citrusy Timut pepper. Spearmint. Nonetheless fairly elegant, albeit much less exuberant than the earlier expressions.

Mouth: a extra sturdy and tannic arrival than the earlier two. Then again it additionally exhibits a stupendous wave of pink grapefruits, tangerines and apricots. Some toffee. Lastly minty notes mixing with tobacco leaves and nutmeg in the direction of the top.

End: fairly lengthy, mixing candy notes (toffee) with an earthy / minty be aware.

This Lot 56 is barely sweeter, which provides a lot richness and hides a few of the previous woody hints. A really balanced, advanced cognac. Round € 600. Rating: 89/100

The subsequent one is a sister bottling of a Prunier I had in a earlier cognac session. Nonetheless there at the moment are 570 bottles out there, so it might be an even bigger bottling from the identical cask(s).

Prunier Cognac Lot 51 ‘Grande Champagne’ (58%, OB +/- 2021, 570 btl.)

Nostril: I’m getting the unstable diesel-like aroma once more, which makes me suppose it’s the identical cognac. Delicate glue and oil paint. I like that. Rosemary, natural honey and tobacco leaves within the background, in addition to some stewed apricots and honey.

Mouth: actually nice. This has a burst of pink grapefruits, plummy notes, orange peels and different fruits. Perhaps a touch of maracuja. Then some leathery notes, cloves and fragrant pepper. A dry, tannic and earthy edge as properly, nevertheless it’s not disturbing in any approach.

End: lengthy, vibrant, with natural tea, rose pepper and stewed fruits.

Round € 580. It may very well be the line-up or just a greater bottling this time. In any case I’m including one additional level. Really helpful. Rating: 90/100

The subsequent one might ring a bell. Impartial bottler The Whisky Mercenary lately did a Lot 40 bottling. The data I obtained is that it was a damejeanne bottling, whereas the one we’re having right now is a cask bottling. Perhaps from the identical batch, possibly not.

Prunier Cognac Lot 40 ‘Grande Champagne’ (55%, OB +/- 2021)

Nostril: leathery notes, with orange blossoms and bergamot, in addition to orange liqueur. Sunflower oil, hazelnuts and hints of cocoa. Some apricots on syrup, nevertheless it’s not the fruitiest cognac ever. Hints of gingerbread within the distance. Elegant and flawless.

Mouth: some sweetness once more, at all times an excellent signal when it’s a really previous cognac for my part. Then an excellent burst of pink grapefruits, ardour fruits and mango. Candied orange peels. Peaches too. Minty notes. Hazelnuts, black pepper and wooden tannins make it a bit drier, however total it’s merely scrumptious.

End: lengthy, vibrant and fruity, with hints of fruit tea, extra ardour fruits and herbs.

That is fairly heavenly. The brightness, the acidity, the fruitiness and varied sorts of rancio. Round € 600 – in the event you’re purchasing on this worth class, then you definately shouldn’t hesitate. Significantly cheaper than the TWM bottling. Test Wine4You for more information. Rating: 92/100