Within the underground geeky Cognac scene, Vallein Tercinier is a home and model that’s extremely regarded.
I first got here throughout this model by means of one in all La Maison and Velier’s Via the Grapevine bottlings. It’s primarily their impartial bottling model for single cask energy Cognac, which was my first time encountering Cognac being bottled this manner. Ever since, I’ve been a fan of and have been desirous to strive extra Vallein Tercinier.
Vallein Tercinier (VT) is the results of the wedding of the Vallein household and the Tercinier household. It began when Robin Tercinier arrived within the Saintonge area of Cognac in 1480. In a while, Louis Vallein purchased the Domaine des Forges property, nonetheless their present property, in 1791. His son Napoleon, who was identified to be a wine grower, divided the property between his two descendants.
Considered one of Napoleon’s sons is Georges Vallein, who was a distiller and wine and spirits shipper. His sister, Edith Vallein, married and had a son named Louis Tercinier. He continued the household custom by working along with his uncle after getting back from World Struggle I.
What drew me extra to VT is that they’re one of many Cognac manufacturers that appear to be caught up with the instances. Whereas loads of Cognac manufacturers are nonetheless bottling their merchandise at 40% as VS or VSOP or XO, half VT’s core vary are bottled at 44%. Considered one of them is the XO Roots, which I’ll be reviewing right this moment.
Apart from bottling at the next ABV, they’re additionally doing one thing which whisk(e)y aficionados love: having merchandise bottled as single casks at cask energy. However as a result of Cognac is a spirits class that really has terroir, they’re in a position to do one thing most Scotch single malt can’t: bottling aged merchandise that solely come from uncooked supplies harvested, fermented and distilled from one place.
On this case, it’s from a Cognac sub area or one in all its crus. So, we really get to style the terroir for the reason that grapes all come from one kind of soil and probably one grower/producer. That is not like Scotch, the place most distilleries forfeit terroir by sourcing their grain from a number of elements of the world. So as to add to this, the variations in Scotch’s regional types are beginning to imply much less, with the traces slowly being blurred. This 31 12 months previous single cask brut de fut (cask energy) 1990 from the Bon Bois area is an instance.
The Vallein Tercinier XO Roots is no less than 10 years previous. In case you don’t know, the AOC for Cognac was up to date just a few years in the past. XO used to require a minimal getting older of 6 years. It’s now 10. This expression is a mix of Cognac from Grand Champagne, Petit Champagne and Fin Bois.
Additionally, word the point out of “pure shade and non chill-filtered” on the label. Nearly all of the Cognac we see within the supermarkets have added boise (pronounced bwa-sy) and are most probably chill-filtered. Boise is an additive Cognac and Armagnac customers like to make use of to offer it extra shade and make it appear older. It’s primarily boiled sugar and wooden chips plus some low ABV brandy combined in an inert vessel. I’ve heard that there are corporations in Cognac (and possibly Armagnac) that promote to producers. This VT product most probably doesn’t have any boise added to it.
Vallein Tercinier XO Roots – Assessment
44% ABV. €75 from Cognac Professional. £57.25 from The Whisky Alternate.
Shade: Cinnamon syrup.
On the nostril: There’s instantly a scorching, tannic and astringent sensation. Behind the warmth are gentle to medium aromas of cinnamon, leather-based, cloves, the highest of a creamy puffy cake with grapes, honey, vanilla, nuts with pores and skin, leather-based, nutmeg, and brioche.
Within the mouth: Extra astringent than on the nostril. I get gentle to medium tastes of leather-based, brioche, earl gray tea, the highest of a creamy puffy cake with grapes, pears, kiwi fruit, honey, vanilla, cinnamon, and nuts with pores and skin.
Conclusions:
A Cognac with nice flavors and a great balanced physique, nevertheless it lacks a great end, like the way in which a great construct up joke ends and not using a good punch line. I’m not calling this a joke although. I assume it could be higher to say that is improperly ending a great meal with out dessert.
