Heritage Rene Riviere Malternative Belgium Fine Fleur 40,2%​

1906 from Heritage Rene Riviere, one the first gems bottled by Pieter (Malternative Belgium). It can’t go wrong.

Colour: Dark amber, gold lights. Irregular medium tears.

Nose: Heady floral notes at first. Unmistakably from HRR, as you get a distinct kind of rancio, exhausting wormwood and heady floral notes at the same time. I remember perfectly when I’ve tasted that one, even if it was already one year ago. Pieter was sitting next to me during this huge Borderies session, and we discussed a lot of Heritage Rene Riviere and Jean-Jacques Vidal. And if i’m not mistaken, he told me that this 1906 cognac was maybe the most recognizable HRR among all his bottlings. With that said, I can just add that this nose is a gorgeous one.

Mouth: Ample oily texture. Stunning herbal aromas at first. You get this very specific rancio, with a touch of dirtiness (the one that you can find a Ledaig whisky or a Grosperrin MMC3 for example), which is also something that you can find in HRR cognacs. Great precious wood shades. Lingering herbal notes on bay leaf and basil. Wild farm notes again. Crazy kind of cognac.

Last Notes: Extreme freshness. Reasonnable oakiness regarding its age. Heavy tobacco notes. Depth, complex, appealing. Everything is here.

Easy to score. Exceptional but I miss a bit of “extra-touch” to reach the golden 92 mark.  

Whole tasting session