Le Roch Borderies XO 42%

LE ROCH BORDERIES XO 42%

Le Roch Around The Clock

I tasted this Le Roch Borderies XO three times before writing my tasting note. First time in La Cale, at the very beginning of a pleasant tasting session. I loved it at the first sip, and that’s why I bought a bottle. The second time was during another tasting session, in the second position after an Armagnac from Laballe (2000, 40%), and it was far from my first impression, a bit weak and not very Borderies-like, unlike what I previously perceived. Then I tasted it for the third time, and I chose the perfect reference to calibrate my nose and my palate: the Grosperrin Cépages. 

In my humble opinion, this is the perfect cognac to begin a tasting session: immediately ready for tasting, precise and easy structure (tinned pear/apple – honey – flowery/peppery background – pastry aftertaste), consistent ABV  (42%) to start but a reasonable mouth length to let your palate clean (with a smooth/light texture by the way). Well, let’s taste this 15yo Borderies blend!

Colour: Light orange, gold lights. Medium irregular tears 

Nose: Full of tangerine notes at first. Slight toasted and tobacco smells. Fresh leather tones too. Massive cherry syrup waves. Great winds of freshness between violet perfume and mint sweets. Very heady nose. Potpourri, jasmine, violet perfume again. Borderies DNA you said? A delicious mix of tangerine and grenadine syrup. Tinned pears and plums in the background. A very precise and delicate nose that needs full attention for its mineral (chalk) and flowery shades (potpourri, violet/orange blossom). Truly a magnificent nose. 

Palate: Sweet texture, a tad of acidity on the top of the palate and the middle of the tongue. Great dash of red berries at first. Cherry and blackcurrant aromas are obvious here. Tiny fresh licorice expression in the aftertaste, as a prequel of an elegant rancio. Pastry notes on tinned pear cake and cherry cream. A nice palate for sure. A rustic Borderie with elegant shades.  

Last Notes: Amplified mineral notes with more air. Peppery scents in the background, mainly on Sichuan and black pepper. Dashes of caraway too. Dried figs and violet syrup as a reminder of the Borderies DNA. Cherry marmalade. Back on the palate, you find dry and bitter notes, especially on violet berlingot sweets. Still some tobacco tones. It ends on potpourri, something between apricots marmalade and orange zest (with its typical bitterness) and red berries jelly. 

This Le Roch Borderies XO is an absolute killer regarding its price, but you have to choose very wisely cognacs to compare with during your tasting session, and you’ll realize its undeniable quality. If you’re fond of red berries, that’s the one you need. Great work of assemblage here. 

My very subjective note: 88/100

Grosperrin’s website