For the 400th review on the blog, I wanted to mark the moment properly, with three exceptional cognacs, each representing a different vision of time, craftsmanship and maturity. Tesseron Extreme, Tesseron Masterblend 100 and a 55yo Petite Champagne from Grosperrin: three venerable spirits, three ways to express rancio and patine, and three fragments of history captured in glass. Let’s dive into this celebratory trio. Let’s go!
TESSERON EXTREME 40%
Tesseron Extreme is a truly singular cognac. Considered both a collector’s item and a historical piece, it embodies the savoir-faire transmitted across four generations of the Tesseron family. It’s the result of a process during which ten very old eaux-de-vie were retained – including some well over 100 years old. The oldest component is said to date back to 1853, making Extreme one of the rarest and most venerable blends ever released by the house.
Colour: Mahogany with red lights. Medium, irregular tears.
Nose: Heady rancio on fresh walnut and rancioted butter. Beautiful waxy shades, slightly camphory. Stunning floral profile, an opulent violet blossom bouquet, almost a violet/peony mix recalling a top Côte-Rôtie. Evolving constantly in the glass. Delicate citrus notes on candied lemon and lemongrass. Balanced cigar nuances and elegant vinous tones. You can feel the fragility of venerable eaux-de-vie.
Palate: Extra-oily texture. Reasonable oakiness, immediately followed by fruity rancio on overripe pear and plum liqueur. Massive herbal shades, cooked tarragon, roasted thyme. Elegant tannins, again reminiscent of a 15/20 yo Côte-Rôtie. Sultanas, raisins. Finishes on red berries jam and yuzu, with a subtle acidulous/bitter lift.
Last Notes: Stunning fragrance with air. Floral (rosewater) and extremely fruity (strawberry stew). Heavy cigar again. Very old malt notes evoke an old Lochside 1967. Dark rancio close to the profile of very old Bons Bois, Grosperrin Succession Perrier-style (old PX). Herbal and medicinal tones: clove, fungus, zan.
Extreme rancio. Extreme complexity. Extreme profile.
91+/100
TESSERON MASTERBLEND 100s 40%
Masterblend 100 is one of the most coveted assemblages from Tesseron (ask the Norwegians their opinion about that one). It draws from the house’s “réserve ancestrale”, a unique collection of heavy glass demijohns preserving the oldest eaux-de-vie assembled by Abel Tesseron at the end of the 19ᵉ century. The blend brings together 100 different Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie, originally selected and tended by Abel himself, then finally bottled by the third generation, Alfred Tesseron. Only 143 bottles were produced.
Colour: Mahogany with orange lights. Medium, irregular tears.
Nose: Full of roasted shades: dark chocolate, cocoa powder. Bold and structured. Very precise, layering scents one after another. Coffee liqueur, soy sauce, balsamic and umami tones. Massive nose, slightly less refined than Extrême, but deeper.
Palate: Coffee-driven again, with a superb very old Port-like aftertaste. Great blackcurrant notes. Plum eau-de-vie with delicate kirsch. Meat juice, rancioted butter. Powerful yet refined – haute couture. Finishes on licorice, clove and Sichuan pepper.
Last Notes: Becomes more vivid. Orange liqueur. Still a dark profile. Dry floral notes (potpourri). Exotic fruit rises, overripe banana, passion fruit. On the palate again, resinous honey, melted tannins and acidulous red berries. Stunning mouth length, finishing on blackberry juice and leathery rancio.
Victor Hugo said cognac was “God’s liqueur”, but this one is closer to Evil’s perfume. Hypnotic, dark, enchanting. Finesse, complexity, depth.
93+/100
GROSPERRIN PETITE CHAMPAGNE 55yo Lot 7 41,3%
One of the very first Lots in Grosperrin history, one that has been opened during the last Whisky Live Paris. This 55yo Petite Champagne comes from a family of négociants who have been storing and trading old cognacs for several generations, a lineage that still holds pre-phylloxera eaux-de-vie today. The lot from which this bottle was drawn belonged to an old château that lived through the German occupation during the Second World War.
Carbon-14 analysis confirms that this cognac is at least from 1944, a date officially recognised by the French customs. Its origins are believed to reach even further back in time, but several administrative documents were lost or destroyed during the occupation, preventing a more precise declaration.
Colour: Old gold with golden lights. Irregular medium tears.
Nose: Very delicate. Waxy and floral at first, with clear patina of old spirit and a hint of OBE. Bright tea notes. Vivid tangerine juice. Leather cream and mushroom-like shades — the rancio building slowly. Waxy profile reminiscent of old whisky blends (70s White Horse). Sharp chalky notes with a floral lift, almost Estève-like.
Palate: Fragile texture but good length. Classic PC acidulous notes. Heavy cigar tones, strong oak influence. Tropical fruit gums. Wild rancio — lamb meat, old leather.
Last Notes: A moving perfume, revealing its age and fragility. Pre-WWII Petite Champagne nose. Precious wood, gentle truffle nuances. Back on the palate: toffee, acidulous cola sweets. Finishes on herbal notes – honeysuckle, rosemary.
A delicate, fragile Petite Champagne. Imperfect in many aspects, with a bit too much structure, but its elegance makes you forgive everything.
90/100
And now, let’s head to this first edition. For those who managed to come, see you there!
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