Grosperrin Fins Bois N°52-22 46,5%

Into the jewelry box

I tasted this one a first time in Grosperrin’s cellars and as Guilhem told me the last time we met, “when a cognac is really good, you don’t need many words. When you have a truly magnificent cognac in your glass, you instantly know it.” And that was my impression when I took the first sip. So I feel a bit privileged to taste it again, fully focused on this gem made of 80% of 1952 and 20% of 1922. This is what they called old for a Fins Bois in Courbiac Street cellars. Well, let’s start the tasting part. 

Colour: Dark amber, orange lights. Heavy irregular tears.

Nose: Mamma mia! Immediate rancio melting roasted and fruity notes. Heavy crossed scents of tiramisu and cherry syrup. I already want to take a sip. Generous candied plum and fig notes. Elegant smells of green tea surrounded by rosemary and thyme shades. Extreme finesse here. Apparition of an obvious creaminess. Nougat, walnut pie, orange zest cake. Maybe a tad of creme brulee too. And you also get some umami shades, especially on dried mushrooms. Great freshness in the background. Stop it!

Mouth: Oily and acidulous texture. But where to begin? Papaya, passion fruit, and banana stew. Ample fruity aromas, maybe a little overripe. Heavy tobacco notes are underlined by a stunning freshness (mint leaves). Delicate spiciness on white pepper and tarragon. Strong rancio on old leather and stables notes. Beautiful mouth length on anise and cardamom, even if I was expecting a little more of this palate. 

Last Notes: Heady flowery and oaky notes. Acacia honey, potpourri, lavender, pine bark. Blackcurrant syrup but most of the nose is now full of dried figs. Nice mix of verbena infusion and breakfast tea. Back on the palate, you find back some menthol and peppery notes and a bit of honeysuckle and rosemary in the aftertaste. A tad of acidity on lime juice and linseed oil. It ends on blackberry juice and gingerbread.  

What a Fins Bois! One of the best noses among all my tasting notes. Delicious palate even if I was expecting a bit more complexity in the second part of the tasting. But don’t mess with this Grosperrin Fins Bois N°52-22, it’s already a solid Ballon d’Or 2022 nominee. 

My very subjective note: 92+/100

A tad more info on this Grosperrin Fins Bois N°52-22

Fins Bois Session #1