Around Etriac in the Petite Champagne, the Philbert family works the same soil that has shaped their grapes for generations. In the cellar, though, one cask breaks the pattern: an old Sauternes cask from Bordeaux, once home to a sweet white wine, now lending this Cognac a golden, exotic undertone.
Expert's Description
Philbert Sauternes 2012/2018 Rare Cask Finish 7 Years Single Estate French Cognac is a Cognac from the Petite Champagne, finished in used Sauternes casks and bottled at 41.5%.
The bottle comes from Philbert, a Cognac house run by brothers Xavier and Pierre-Olivier Philbert, whose family has grown grapes in the Charente since 1808. Xavier tends the fields around Etriac in the Petite Champagne, while his brother works from Touzac in the Grande Champagne — two addresses, one shared belief that the soil should speak through the distillate. This bottling is single estate, drawn only from the Etriac property, with no blending from other vineyards.
Philbert was the first house in the region to seriously experiment with rare cask finishes in used Oloroso sherry and Sauternes casks, and this release is one result of that work. The Cognac was distilled in 2012 and later rested in one named cask, #172-02, receiving its final finish in refill Sauternes casks alongside new French oak.
Only 550 bottles of this release exist, and the Cognac is unfiltered at low temperature, so everything the cask gave it — the sweet, fruity traces of Sauternes — stays intact in the glass.
Tasting Notes
Nose
The nose opens with ripe apricot and a touch of honey, quickly followed by warm toasted oak and a hint of the sweet white wine the cask once held.
Palate
On the palate it is round and full, with exotic fruit, caramelised sugar and a light spiced warmth that carries the flavour forward without turning heavy.
Finish
The finish is long and silky, with a lingering sweetness from the Sauternes cask and a final trace of toasted wood.
Specifications
Name: Philbert Sauternes 2012/2018 Rare Cask Finish 7 Years Single Estate French Cognac
Distillery: Philbert
Country: France
Type: French Cognac, Single Estate
Age: 7 Years
ABV: 41.5%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Refill Sauternes casks and new French oak
EAN no.: 3367589000065
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a tulip-shaped Cognac glass, ideally after a meal, when the sweet and exotic notes can fully unfold.
Flavour Profile
Apricot · Honey · Toasted Oak · Exotic Sweetness
Did You Know?
Did you know this Cognac comes from a single named cask, #172-02, and that only 550 bottles of this exact Sauternes finish exist in the world?
