Ragnaud Sabourin XXO Grande Champagne

D&M NOTES:

TASTING: This shows a deep amber color with even deeper reflections. The nose is complex: candied citrus fruits include lemon confit and dried orange, punctuated with classy oak notes that include cinnamon and clove. With aeration, deeper, more mature fruit notes arise, including prune, quince, and a subtle note of toasted almonds. The finish is long and spicy, with a delicate note of ginger that weaves its way in and out of this very elegant bottling.

PRODUCTION: While XO is a relatively known designation with a minimum age of 10 Years, in 2018 the law was updated to include the XXO or Extra Extra Old, whose youngest Cognac needs to be at least 14 years old. What one can normally expect from an XXO is a more distinguished cognac than an XO, that steers away from the thick, often syrupy releases from many of the large merchant houses. In the case of Ragnaud-Sabourin, their assemblage averages 30 years of age, and includes cognacs from the early 1990s.

ABOUT THE PRODUCER: With a history in the region that stretches back to 1850, Ragnaud-Sabourin is one of the most prestigious Cognac houses in the region. It was founded by M.Gaston Briand, who was responsible for the identification of the different esteemed Cognac terroirs back in 1909 and is thus a key player in Cognac's history. Today, its amazing private estate in Grand Champagne covers 33 hectares of vines, 30 of which are Ugni Blanc and the remaining three planted to Folle Blanche. Half of these vineyards are in Ambleville and the other half nearby in Criteuil-la-Magdeleine. They have several aging cellars around the property, with a distillery that houses two pot stills.