SAUNIER EXCELLENCE HORS D’AGE 41%
A few miles from Segonzac
On the slopy roads of Segonzac, facing Juillac-le-Coq, you find a not-that-well-known estate. With 34 hectares of vines in GC, which are mostly dedicated to the Big 4 (Hennessy, Martell, Bache-Gabrielsen; so not exactly the Big 4, but you get the idea), Saunier can’t be labeled as a casual bottler. But with a privileged terroir and a good stock of old eau-de-vie, how not to expect a few gems? So let’s try this Hors d’Age. A 1971 that can’t say its name, bottled at 41% and with 46yo in cask.
Colour: Amber, old gold lights. Regular heavy tears.
Nose: Solar profile. Warm spiced notes at first. Full of candied citrus notes. Bright and sharp, screaming its GC DNA. Hints of resinous shades in the background, mainly on pinewood. Delicate honey scents.
Palate: A tad oily. It remains quite sharp on the palate. Full of licorice aromas. A nice balance between opulent candied citrus notes and fresh spiced shades (cardamom, white pepper).
Last Notes: Precious wood scents. Overcooked tomato. Mango stew. Nice herbal shades, mainly on tarragon and bay leaf. Light honey shades, surrounded by great pastry scents (fresh croissant). Very tea-ish with air, far from what I was expecting with this profile. Plum pie. Back on the palate, you get fresh cherry aromas and a bunch of other fruits (dried prune, fig, plum). Impressive mouth length regarding the ABV. It remains a bit too sharp; it feels like this GC could have gone funkier.
Everything you can expect from a 46yo GC. Except for that extra touch to reach another level of quality. Maybe this terroir isn’t as funky as Verrieres, Criteuil or Mainxe. Or maybe this Excellence cognac is just a juvenile GC (46yo, just kidding, right?).
My very subjective note: 88+/100
JLP Symphonie des Terroirs N°2 48,8%
Grosperrin Petite Champagne N71 52,2%
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