Grosperrin Borderies 1964 51,3%

Grosperrin Borderies 1964 51,3% (Lot N°22)

Vintage Borderies

Well, that’s the 2nd Borderies reviewed here from 1964 and also from Grosperrin’s cellars. But the first one, the N°64, wasn’t a vintage cognac and as far as I know, it doesn’t own the same DNA. Around 37yo (1964-2000/2001), cask strength, millesimé: let’s try this one!

Colour: Golden brown, orange lights. Heavy irregular tears.

Nose: Bright candied citruses notes at first. Obvious floral scents of orange blossom and jasmine. Delicate warm spices on cumin and safran, immediately followed by peony and violet blossom notes. This heady floralness is intoxicated. Blood orange shades in the background. Light chalky notes too. A tad of white port smells. Hints of malted notes, as if a mad alchemist has melted a heavy hesperidian perfume with half a bottle of Waterford (with its round VDN malted notes, kind of raisins/muesli mix).

Palate: Extra-oily texture. Instant rancio. Mesmerizing rancio. Heavy rancio. Full of red berries juice and blackcurrant jelly. Stunning acidulous aftertaste on strawberry and fresh licorice. Unstoppable mouth length on blackberry jam, sending me back to my childhood and that time when I used to pick a few handful of blackberry in the neighborhood, in order to make a delicious marmalade. Everything is delivered with finesse and precision.

Last Notes: Even more focused on citruses notes now, but you also get unprecedented mentholated scents. The kind of menthol shades you can find in old malted things like Mosstowie. Back on the palate, you get another wave of rancio. A bit oakier, but you still find this blackcurrant juicy note that goes wild. A bit musky, and a tad of fresh cedar wood notes in the aftertaste.

Very high-level quality here. Perfect vintage? Perfect cask? I don’t have a clue, but what I know is that I love this kind of Borderies. What a kind of freshness for this age statement! Even better than the N°64 (and N°65 bottled by Swell)? Hum…Almost! With a little less of wood influence, it would have been a marvelous one. But that’s the lovely imperfection of an untouched/unblended millésimé.

My very subjective note: 91/100

Grosperrin’s website

Many thanks Luke (and Ludo!)