DOMAINE ÉLISABETH

VIROLLET

The Cognac Appellation in southwest France, north of Bordeaux, makes some of the world’s finest and most renowned brandies. Cognac must be made from specified grape varieties, mainly Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard. The wine must be doubledistilled in traditional swan-necked copper pot stills and aged for a minimum of two years in large French oak casks made of oak from the Limousin or Tronçais forests.

CHÂTEAU BELLEVUE

3522

COGNAC CHÂTEAU BELLEVUE, VIEILLE RÉSERVE NO. 1, AOC COGNAC

Cognac 40%

$ 473 $ 946

Every year, I taste the Bellevue Vieille Réserve, and every year I fall in love with it again. The 108-hectare estate is enclosed within dry stone walls with at its heart a 19th-century Château. Vieille Réserve N°1 was matured for over 60 years beneath the Château in the vaulted stone cellar. It is amber in colour with a sweet mellow bouquet with notes of bitter orange, vanilla, caramel, spices and wood. It is complex with warm flavours and lots of appeal while having elegant fruit and vanilla and is super smooth. Produced from a blend of Folle Blanche, Colombard and the now rare Montils grape.

ELISABETH VS FINE COGNAC, AOC COGNAC FINS BOIS ELISABETH XO FINE COGNAC, AOC COGNAC FINS BOIS ELISABETH VSOP FINE COGNAC, AOC COGNAC FINS BOIS

Cognac 40%

Golden in colour, it has grapey fruit aromas with a pungent alcohol. The palate is sweet with lingering mellow grape flavours. It was made from 30% Colombard and 70% Ugni Blanc and was aged initially in new Limousin oak barrels, then in older foudres for a minimum of four years – longer than the specified minimum for VS Cognac (which stands for Very Special). Cognac 40%

A deeper orange amber colour, it is a little subdued on the nose at first. With some air and warmth, it shows mellow, rich candied fruits and spices with vanilla and chocolate. Élisabeth XO (Extra Old) was matured for more than 15 years. Cognac 40%

This VSOP (Very Special Old Pale) has more vanilla aromas and is mellow with raisin, cooked fruit and woody flavours. On the palate, it has good weight and depth with baked apple-strudel character and a long woody finish. Matured in a similar fashion to the VS, it spent a minimum of eight years in oak.

MIXED CASE

3523 ELISABETH FINE COGNAC CASE

$ 189 $ 567

Domaine Élisabeth is a family property which has been growing grapes and making Cognac in the Fins Bois subregion since 1767. It has 50 hectares of vines which are farmed organically on clay limestone soils typical of Fins Bois. Cognac must be aged in oak for a minimum of two years, but many are aged a lot longer. Cognacs are classified according to the length of maturation in oak. As it ages in wood, the spirit softens, becoming less fiery, and develops mellow and complex flavours. Limousin oak has a larger grain than oak used for wine maturation. Alcohol evaporates into the atmosphere creating what is known as the “Angels’ Share,” at the same time it becomes more concentrated and richer in flavour and takes on colour.

ONE BOTTLE EACH

VS, VSOP, XO