The year 1968 saw student riots sweep across France, and the grapes behind this Cognac were harvested that same restless summer. The spirit has since rested in oak for longer than most of us have been alive, a liquid time capsule from Grande Champagne.
Expert's Description
A. de Fussigny Vintage 1968 is a French Cognac from Grande Champagne, bottled at 43%.
The house of A. de Fussigny was founded in the 19th century by an Italian merchant with a clear ambition: to craft Cognac of the very highest quality for Europe's finest hotels and restaurants. In 2008, Patrick and Jean-Dominic took over the reins after more than 20 years each in the Cognac trade, and they have carried the founder's philosophy forward through careful grape selection and patient, unhurried ageing.
Grande Champagne is the chalkiest and finest of Cognac's six cru areas, and it is here that the longest-lived eaux-de-vie are distilled. A vintage Cognac like this one is not a blend of several harvests but a single distillate from 1968, allowed to mature for decades without being married to younger spirit.
Decades on oak have given the Cognac its deep, rancio-driven character, the kind only the oldest vintages achieve, where fresh fruit recedes in favour of spiced wood and an almost oxidised, sherry-like complexity.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Dried fig, orange peel and a whisper of old leather open the glass, carried by a gentle rancio note and faint tobacco.
Palate
The palate is dark and spiced, with dark honey, toasted almonds and cedar, while a light bitter orange note keeps the sweetness in check.
Finish
The finish is long and dry, with lingering spice and a final trace of orange oil.
Specifications
Name: A. de Fussigny Vintage 1968
Distillery: A. de Fussigny
Country: France
Type: French Cognac
Vintage: 1968
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: French Oak
EAN no.: 3700485101144
Flavour Profile
Rancio · Dried Fig · Cedar · Orange Peel
Investment Potential
As one of the oldest vintage Cognacs in the range, A. de Fussigny Vintage 1968 carries a medium to high investment potential. Single-vintage Cognac from before 1970 grows scarcer by the year, and comparably old Grande Champagne vintages often change hands at auction for well above their original release price.
Did You Know?
When the grapes for this Cognac were harvested in 1968, the Cognac region had not yet felt the Asian demand boom that would transform the industry decades later, meaning the 1968 vintage was laid down at a time when a small house like A. de Fussigny measured itself purely on quality rather than volume.
