MALTERNATIVE BELGIUM #44 LA GARDIENNE VOYER 19.14 44,9%
WWI Verrieres
This cognac is part of a series of annual demijohn bottlings selected by Malternative Belgium in collaboration with François Voyer. Distilled in 1914, just a few months after the outbreak of the First World War, it was transferred to a glass demijohn in the 1990s for long-term preservation. This release represents the oldest Voyer expression I have tasted to date. Verrieres, 1914, 44,9%. Can’t be more appealing, right? Let’s go!
Colour: Mahogany with orange lights. Irregular heavy tears.
Nose: Intense chalky notes blended with a superb hesperidic wave. Remarkable tension for such an old spirit. A touch of earthiness in the background. Strong humid rancio, with a beautiful mix of wet undergrowth and rotten wood. Subtle nutty shades on crushed almond. A bit shy considering the pedigree, but no worry, these gems often need time to fully open.
Palate: Massive acidulous notes: guava, passion fruit, peach syrup. Splendid entrance. A hint of blackcurrant juice in the aftertaste. Unmistakably Grande Champagne. Slight wood astringence, but nothing excessive. Delicious yeasty tones of banana bread and NEIPA beer. Finishes on elegant licorice aromas. Outstanding mouth length.
Last Notes: Opulent yet sharp, recalling Grosperrin’s GC 35/41. Full of tea-ish shades. Intense heavy cigar notes. Still, a certain fragility in the background, typical of venerable eaux-de-vie. Back on the palate, bold acidulous notes remain, shifting more toward red berries. Delicate herbal touches on chamomile and parsley.
A unique kind of Grande Champagne once again. Hard to complain about this level of depth, even if I personally prefer Lot 46, the superb Collection Personnelle N°7, or Lot 71 (also bottled by Pieter & Ysatis), which preserve even more of Voyer’s DNA with slightly less oak influence. Still, this is easily above 90. Let’s say 91.
My very subjective note: 91/100
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