JLP Le Cognac de Noël 46,4%

JEAN-LUC PASQUET L’ESPRIT DE FAMILLE LE COGNAC DE NOËL 46,4%

The last L’Esprit de Famille cognac?

Another P.C from JLP’s cellars. A tad younger than Le Cognac d’Elisabeth (L89) and Le Cognac de Claude (L84), this Cognac de Noël (and Marie-France)(L94) has its specific story. Noël and Marie-France were winegrowers and distillers in Sainte-Lheurine, 4 kilometers south of Montifaud and 8 kilometers north of Fradon and Bertrand, so I presume that vines were planted on a quite loamy soil. This Cognac de Noël is the last cognac of l’Esprit de Famille range, which will be renamed Trésors de Famille  (with already a first reference : Le Cognac de Claude). Let’s taste this Santa cognac!

Colour: Gold, olive lights. Regular medium tears

Nose: Great mix of spices and fruits at first. Tangerine, orange marmalade. Coriander, peppermint. Paprika. Impression of a very warm cognac with tiny winds of freshness. Nice shades of caraway and paprika. Massive candied citruses scents dancing with elegant peppery notes. A tad of acidulous fruity notes in the background (P.C you know). 

Palate: Sweet and oily texture. Very warm and welcoming cognac on prunes cake and cinnamon. Orange zest cake, fresh licorice. Always a nice balance between fruitiness and spiciness. Breakfast tea aromas in the aftertaste, cinnamon (again) and roasted hazelnut in the background. It’s already Christmas on my palate. 

Last Notes: Great hints of raisins and prunes with more air. Fruit paste scents too, mainly on orange and rhubarb. A tad of carrot/pumpkin soup or am I dreaming ? Back to the palate, you find back some vivid freshness, especially on cardamom, and shades of spiciness (Sichuan pepper, Timut Pepper). It ends on licorice, raisins and rhubarb stew. 

Delicious P.C here. This Cognac de Noël is very different from other 20-30yo P.C cognacs I tasted before (Bertrand Napoleon for example) with its singular spicy DNA. Easy cognac with various fruity and spicy notes. Not the most complex cognac ever but a perfect Christmas dram. A perfect Advent time dram too if you ask me. Okay, let’s say a perfect daily dram if you can’t wait December (like me). 

My very subjective note: 88/100

More info on this JLP Cognac de Noël