Paul Giraud Tres Rare 40%

PAUL GIRAUD TRES RARE 40%

Refined G.C

After the Vieille Reserve and  Velier’s bottling, it’s time to taste another Grande Champagne from Bouteville. This cognac is a 40yo blend bottled at 40%. Here is the Paul Giraud Tres Rare!

Colour: Old gold, green lights. Irregular medium tears.

Nose: Apple symphony at first. Caramelized apple, calvados-y notes, cider apple. Fruity entrance underlined by flowery notes, especially on rosewater and lavender. Great peppery tones on black pepper, Sichuan pepper and Cardamom.

Palate: Sweet texture. Generous apple tart notes at first, quickly followed by delicate wood notes (mainly sandalwood). Delicate rancio on potpourri and cigarbox. Very Grande Champagne indeed. A little of acidity in the aftertaste. Correct mouth length with 40%. Light tobacco notes in the aftertaste. Not the most complex palate but very precise.

Last Notes: Heady smells of plums liquor and leather cream. Proeminent but still delicate rancio on precious wood and strong orange blossom scents. Blackberry marmalade during its cooking (yes, very precise but it’s one of my Madeleine de Proust). Magnificent G.C nose. Elegant, fruity, flowery with well-balanced wood tones. Back on the palate you find back orchard and pastry aromas. Caramelized pears and apples underlined by new toasted notes, especially on coffee liquor. Kind of tiramisu with fruit pieces. Definitive coffee and speculoos shades in the aftertaste. Nice!

Frankly, there is only a little lack of fun to reach 89. Great G.C for sure, everything is expressed with a sweet finesse here.

My very subjective note: 88+/100

Paul Giraud’s website