In 1974, Jean-Jacques Lesgourgues bought a crumbling château in Gascony with one clear plan: to restore an Armagnac estate to its former greatness. Signature is the house's youngest, most direct expression, where the grape itself, more than the cask, sets the tone.

Expert's Description

Chateau de Laubade AOP Bas Armagnac Signature is a French Bas-Armagnac, bottled at 42%.

Château de Laubade has made Armagnac since the early 1700s and was already granted Château Appellation Contrôlée status in 1855. After a long period of decline, Jean-Jacques Lesgourgues bought the crumbling château in 1974 and restored it to what is today one of the largest and most respected estates in the entire Armagnac region.

Signature has matured for only two years on cask, meaning the grape itself, rather than the wood, comes through most clearly. This youthful style makes it particularly well suited to food, including matured cheeses, white meat and fish.

Château de Laubade also runs its own cooperage, where the finest Gascony oak is air-dried for at least three years before being built into barrels, a rarity among Armagnac producers that underlines the house's craft ambition.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh grape, plum and a light, green freshness.

Palate

Clean and full, with a clear fruit character and only a faint touch of oak.

Finish

Short to medium, with a fresh, dry close.

Specifications

Name: Château de Laubade AOP Bas Armagnac Signature
Distillery: Château de Laubade
Country: France
Type: French Bas-Armagnac
ABV: 42%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: French Oak, short ageing, 2 years
EAN no.: 3270310089027
Serving suggestion: Enjoy with food such as matured cheeses, white meat or fish

Flavour Profile

Grape · Plum · Fresh Fruit · Light Oak

Did You Know?

Château de Laubade is the only Armagnac producer with its own cooperage, where craftsmen select and air-dry Gascony oak for three years before building it into the casks that age the rest of the house's range.

On the banks of the Charente river in Jarnac, cognac has been distilled under the name Courvoisier since 1809. The house tied its name to Napoleon early on, and the story of the emperor's fondness for the cognac still follows the bottle today.

Expert's Description

Courvoisier VS is a French Cognac, a blend aged between 4 and 8 years in oak casks and bottled at 40%.

Courvoisier was founded in 1809 in Jarnac on the Charente river and ranks among the great, classic Cognac houses. The story of the house's close ties to Napoleon Bonaparte has become part of its identity, and the name still carries the nickname the emperor's favourite cognac.

The VS quality is blended from grapes grown in the two cru-certified areas of Fins Bois and Petite Champagne, giving it its complex, fruity character with remarkable body and depth.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose is fruity and floral with light notes of oak.

Palate

The palate offers orange, lemon and pear, spiced with a touch of oak.

Finish

The finish is round and gently sweet, with a warmth that spreads slowly.

Specifications

Name: Courvoisier VS
Distillery: Courvoisier
Country: France
Type: VS French Cognac
Age: 4-8 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
EAN no.: 3049197110076
Serving suggestion: Enjoy neat at room temperature or as the base of cocktails and mixed drinks.

Flavour Profile

Orange · Pear · Oak · Spice

Did You Know?

Did you know that Courvoisier is often called the emperor's cognac? Legend has it that Napoleon took a case of cognac with him into exile on Saint Helena in 1815, and the story has followed the house's name ever since.

Monte Carlo, 1912. At the Hôtel de Paris, Edouard Martell presented a new Cognac to the city's elite, named and designed with a nod to the coveted prize for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic. Cordon Bleu was born, and more than a century on it still stands as one of Martell's most celebrated names.

Expert's Description

Martell Cordon Bleu XO is a French Cognac classified Cordon Bleu, bottled at 40%.

Cordon Bleu was created in 1912 by Edouard Martell, great-grandson of house founder Jean Martell, and launched at the legendary Hôtel de Paris in Monaco. In Martell's own hierarchy, Cordon Bleu sits between VSOP and XO, though it is marketed today alongside the house's XO editions due to its depth and maturity. It was also the first Cognac the house launched after the phylloxera crisis had devastated large parts of France's vineyards, and it is regarded as one of the earliest exclusive Cognacs aimed at a broader international market.

The blend combines eaux-de-vie from both Grande Champagne and Borderies, where the finesse and ageing potential of Grande Champagne meet the characteristic softness and floral aroma of Borderies, a signature of Martell since 1715.

The casks are made from the fine-grained Tronçais oak that Martell favours for its slow, gentle release of flavour during the extended ageing.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Rich and mature, with dried fruit, a touch of honey and a light floral undertone that hints at the long cask maturation.

Palate

Soft and rounded, with notes of apricot and walnut, spiced with a hint of vanilla and a touch of oak.

Finish

Long and elegant, where the dried fruit returns alongside a warm, woody sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Martell Cordon Bleu XO
Distillery: Martell
Country: France
Type: French Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Tronçais oak casks
EAN no.: 3219820000382
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed neat in a Cognac glass at room temperature, ideally to round off a good dinner.

Flavour Profile

Dried fruit · Honey · Vanilla · Elegant

Did You Know?

The name and bottle design reference the Blue Riband, the prestigious award for the fastest transatlantic crossing, as a tribute to the Martell family's maritime roots and trade routes across the Atlantic.

In Cognac, where the Charente river winds through chalky soil, the Martell family has been distilling since 1715. It is the oldest of the great Cognac houses, and the VS edition is where most people first meet the house style: young, fresh and built on the same blend that has carried the name for more than 300 years.

Expert's Description

Martell VS Single Distillery is a French Cognac classified VS, bottled at 40%.

Martell was founded in 1715 by Jean Martell and is the oldest of the great Cognac houses. From the start, the house has made the Borderies cru its signature, a small, distinctive area near the town of Cognac that gives its eaux-de-vie a softness and a floral aroma rarely found elsewhere. The VS edition is built on the same blend of eaux-de-vie the founder created, aged on average 5 to 7 years in cask.

The designation VS, Very Special, is Cognac's youngest legal classification, and Martell's version is intended as an accessible, versatile Cognac that works equally well neat, on ice or in a cocktail. The high share of Borderies adds complexity without sacrificing drinkability.

The casks are made from the fine-grained Tronçais oak that Martell traditionally favours, because it releases its character slowly and gently into the spirit during ageing.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Fresh and spicy, with citrus, ripe pear and a touch of saffron, framed by soft, resinous notes and a hint of incense.

Palate

Wood and spice notes come together in harmony with a pleasant freshness and a velvety texture.

Finish

The finish is medium in length and lightly spiced, with a clean, dry close shaped by the fine Tronçais oak.

Specifications

Name: Martell VS Single Distillery
Distillery: Martell
Country: France
Type: French Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Tronçais oak casks
EAN no.: 3219820000078
Serving suggestion: Enjoy neat, on ice or as the base of classic Cognac cocktails.

Flavour Profile

Fresh · Floral · Spiced · Light

Did You Know?

Martell's VS classification was originally called Three Star and marked with three stars on the label, a name the house used for more than 150 years before it was changed to VS.

The longer a Cognac is allowed to rest in cask, the deeper its colour and character become. In Martell XO, the deep copper glow is visible proof of years of patient ageing, where the finesse of Grande Champagne has slowly woven itself into the house's classic Borderies style.

Expert's Description

Martell XO is a French Cognac classified XO, bottled at 40%.

Martell was founded in 1715 by Jean Martell and has since made the Borderies cru its trademark, alongside a softness and floral character rarely found elsewhere in the region. In the XO edition, Borderies is joined by eaux-de-vie from Grande Champagne, whose chalky soil provides the extra finesse and ageing potential a Cognac of this age requires.

The XO classification is one of Cognac's oldest designations and signals that the spirit has drawn influence from substantial cask maturation. It is precisely this long ageing that gives Martell XO its deep, golden copper colour and its layered, complex character.

The casks are made from the fine-grained Tronçais oak Martell has favoured for generations, as it allows the eaux-de-vie to mature slowly without being dominated by the wood.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The aroma opens with dried fruit and honey, gradually giving way to sweeter fruit notes and a touch of spice.

Palate

Full and round, with layers of honey, dried apricot and a warm, woody spiciness reminiscent of sandalwood.

Finish

Long and complex, where the finesse of Grande Champagne keeps the flavour alive well after the Cognac has been swallowed.

Specifications

Name: Martell XO
Distillery: Martell
Country: France
Type: French Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Tronçais oak casks
EAN no.: 3219820006186
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed neat in a tulip-shaped Cognac glass at room temperature.

Flavour Profile

Dried fruit · Honey · Spice · Sandalwood

Did You Know?

The XO designation has historically guaranteed a minimum of 6.5 years of cask ageing, making it one of the oldest official classifications in the Cognac region's rulebook.

Some bottles need a story. This one needs a single name: Robert Parker, who gave Tesseron's legendary Lot 29 from 1929 a full 100 points and called it the most ethereal cognac he had ever tasted – and who later returned to the house's cellars to keep tasting.

Expert's Description

Tesseron Lot No. 53 is an XO Perfection Cognac from Grande Champagne, bottled at 40%.

The Tesseron family, which founded its cognac house in 1905, is among the few families in the district still holding onto old vintage reserves that have never been diluted with water or manipulated in any way. Lot No. 53 is one of these reserves, and critics have described it as sitting close to the quality of the legendary Lot 29 – only in a darker, silkier expression with a complex aromatic profile that, according to Robert Parker, "can fill a room."

Wine Enthusiast has highlighted a nose of oak and nut paste with fruity notes of berries, dried fruit, plums, pears and soft cheese, while the palate is described as composed, succulent and honeyed, developing caramel, rancio and orange rind toward a deep, refined and mature finish.

As a Grande Champagne XO Perfection, Lot No. 53 represents the very top of the house's philosophy of releasing only "XO and beyond" – rare reserves available only in limited numbers.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Oak and nut paste, with fruity notes of berries, dried fruit, plum and pear.

Palate

Composed and succulent, honeyed at midpalate with caramel, rancio and orange rind.

Finish

Deep, refined and long, with a mature, almost silky close.

Specifications

Name: Tesseron Lot No. 53
Distillery: Tesseron
Country: France
Type: XO Perfection Cognac, Grande Champagne
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Limousin oak
EAN no.: 3577620530707
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a narrow cognac glass, ideally as a thoughtful close to the evening

Flavour Profile

Nut paste · Dried fruit · Caramel · Rancio

Investment Potential

Medium. Tesseron's named Lot reserves, including Lot 53, are limited and unblended vintage distillates that critics such as Robert Parker have compared to the house's most sought-after bottle, Lot 29. Sister releases from the same family reserve often trade for several times their original release price on the secondary market and at auction.

Did You Know?

Robert Parker gave Tesseron's Lot 29 from 1929 a full 100 points – one of the rarest scores he has ever awarded a spirit, and a rating that has followed the entire Tesseron name ever since.

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.

The recipe dates from 1804 and remains largely unchanged. No shortcuts, no tricks - just time, old craft, and a small still in Saint-Preuil. Daniel Bouju Empereur XO is the house's tribute to the original method.

Expert's Description

Daniel Bouju Empereur XO is a French Cognac from Grande Champagne, aged in new Limousin oak casks and bottled at 40%.

The cognac comes from the small family house Daniel Bouju, where the original 1804 recipe still forms the basis of production. The house has always held that strength and character should come from the raw materials and cask ageing, not from additives.

Empereur XO is made exclusively from Ugni Blanc grapes and represents the house's XO quality, where long ageing has produced a dark, refined and characterful cognac.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose offers nutmeg, clove and a touch of ginger.

Palate

The palate is harmonious with ripe plum and vanilla blending smoothly together.

Finish

The finish is long and impressive, with the spices lingering for a good while.

Specifications

Name: Daniel Bouju Empereur XO
Distillery: Daniel Bouju
Country: France
Type: XO Grande Champagne Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: New Limousin oak casks
Serving suggestion: Enjoy neat at room temperature in a cognac glass, ideally as a close to a good dinner.

Flavour Profile

Plum · Nutmeg · Clove · Vanilla

Did You Know?

Did you know that Daniel Bouju still distils according to a recipe from 1804? The house itself calls it no hocus pocus - just patience and respect for the raw materials.

In Saint-Preuil, the place locals call the heart of the Cognac region, Daniel Bouju bottles a young and lively cognac straight into a decanter, ready to be displayed as a gift or as a centrepiece on the drinks cabinet.

Expert's Description

Daniel Bouju No 5 Caraffe is a French Cognac from Grande Champagne, aged in new Limousin oak casks and bottled at 40%.

The cognac comes from the small family house Daniel Bouju, based right in Saint-Preuil - an area the house itself calls the absolute heart of the Cognac region. No 5 is one of the house's younger, fresher expressions, bottled straight into a sleek decanter.

The young age gives the cognac a lively, almost grape-sweet character, while ageing in new Limousin casks adds a fine touch of wood and vanilla without losing its freshness.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose is light with forest floor, citrus and fresh grapes.

Palate

The palate is long and round with a touch of spice.

Finish

The finish is fresh and nuanced, closing with an elegant light tartness.

Specifications

Name: Daniel Bouju No 5 Caraffe
Distillery: Daniel Bouju
Country: France
Type: Grande Champagne Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: New Limousin oak casks
EAN no.: 3760008770080
Serving suggestion: Enjoy neat at room temperature in a cognac glass, and the decanter makes it a fitting gift for special occasions.

Flavour Profile

Citrus · Forest floor · Grape · Spice

Did You Know?

Did you know that Saint-Preuil, home to Daniel Bouju, is considered by many locals to be the very heart of the Cognac region? The location is part of the reason the house has access to some of the region's finest grapes.

25 hectares of vineyards, a single small still, and a family that has kept to the same craft since 1805 - that is the short version of the story behind Daniel Bouju Sélection Spéciale.

Expert's Description

Daniel Bouju Sélection Spéciale is a French Cognac from Grande Champagne, aged in new Limousin oak casks and bottled at 40%.

The house of Daniel Bouju farms its 25 hectares of vineyards in Saint-Preuil on the principle that small is good: no mass production, no industrial shortcuts, only patient distillation on a 16.5-hectolitre still.

Sélection Spéciale is one of the house's most approachable expressions, where floral aromas meet the softness that only comes from cask ageing without any added caramel or sugar.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose offers floral notes alongside a calm touch of oak ageing.

Palate

The palate is well-rounded and never aggressive, with a soft fruit sweetness that carries through nicely.

Finish

The finish is even and warm with a final touch of vanilla.

Specifications

Name: Daniel Bouju Sélection Spéciale
Distillery: Daniel Bouju
Country: France
Type: Grande Champagne Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: New Limousin oak casks
EAN no.: 3760008770028
Serving suggestion: Enjoy neat at room temperature in a cognac glass or over ice as a calm end to a meal.

Flavour Profile

Floral · Fruit · Vanilla · Oak

Did You Know?

Did you know that Daniel Bouju never adds caramel or sugar to its cognacs? All colour and sweetness come purely from the natural processes in the cask, a rarity even among small Cognac houses.

Somewhere beneath Cognac, more than three hundred different distillates rest side by side, each carrying its own age and its own story, until the cellar master gathers them into a single bottle. Ripe fig, candied orange and fresh-baked bread meet here in a mahogany-toned glass, heavy with decades of patience.

Expert's Description

Remy Martin XO Excellence is a French Cognac of the Fine Champagne category, bottled at 40%. Behind the label sits a blend of more than three hundred different eaux-de-vie, each aged between 17 and 37 years, gathered by the house's cellar master into one coherent experience.

Remy Martin was founded in 1724 in the town of Cognac and remains the only major Cognac house that uses exclusively Fine Champagne Cognac across its range, a self-imposed standard stricter than the law technically requires.

Fine Champagne is a protected designation within Cognac and has nothing to do with the sparkling wine from the Champagne region further north. The name comes from an old French term for open plain, and it covers a blend of eaux-de-vie from the two finest growth areas, Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne, with a minimum of half coming from Grande Champagne. The chalky limestone soil of these two areas gives the grapes, typically Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard, a finesse the rest of the Cognac region struggles to match.

In XO Excellence, the long ageing shows clearly. The colour is a light mahogany with amber hues, and every glass carries a distillate where decades of cask ageing have left their mark without ever letting the fruit disappear beneath the wood.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose offers ripe figs, candied orange and juicy plums, spiced with a touch of ginger and the scent of freshly baked bread straight from the oven.

Palate

The palate is complex yet soft, layering ripe fruit, warm spice and a calm note of oak that ties everything together without ever taking over.

Finish

The finish is long and warm, where spice and lightly toasted wood linger while the fruit slowly fades.

Specifications

Name: Remy Martin XO Excellence French Cognac
Distillery: Remy Martin
Country: France
Type: French Cognac, Fine Champagne
Age: Between 17 and 37 years
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
EAN no.: 3024480004522
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a cognac glass or tulip-shaped glass, ideally given a little time to breathe so the aromas can fully unfold.

Flavour Profile

Fig · Candied Orange · Ginger · Spiced Oak

Did You Know?

Did you know that more than 300 different eaux-de-vie go into this single bottle? Remy Martin's cellar master spends years finding the right composition before a batch of XO Excellence is ready to be bottled.

Legend has it that a winemaker in Cognac once poured fresh grape juice into a cask that still held cognac by mistake. He left the cask forgotten in a dark corner - and months later found an entirely new drink. That is how Pineau des Charentes was born, and Drouet's rosé carries that same story forward.

Expert's Description

Drouet Pineau des Charentes Vintage Rose is a French Pineau des Charentes, bottled at 17.5%.

Pineau des Charentes may only be produced in Charente-Maritime in southwest France, centred on the town of Cognac, and gained the right to carry the designation of original appellation in 1935. The drink is made by adding 3/4 fresh grape must to 1/4 cognac, after which the blend matures for at least a year in oak casks.

This rosé is made from the grapes Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, which together give a sweeter and slightly bolder style than the white version, with a fruit character that makes it well suited both as a communion wine and with dessert-style dishes.

Tasting Notes

Nose

The nose offers a lovely bouquet of fruit and plum.

Palate

The palate is sweet with juicy fruit and a touch of spice.

Finish

The finish is soft and round, leaving a pleasant sweetness.

Specifications

Name: Drouet Pineau des Charentes Vintage Rose
Distillery: Drouet et Fils
Country: France
Type: French Pineau des Charentes (Rosé)
ABV: 17.5%
Size: 75 CL
EAN no.: 3585950000166
Serving suggestion: Enjoy chilled as an aperitif, as a communion wine, or with honeydew melon, strawberries and meat dishes with sauce.

Flavour Profile

Plum · Fruit · Spice · Sweetness

Did You Know?

Did you know that this Pineau des Charentes from Drouet is also used as a communion wine in churches? Its soft, fruity sweetness makes it a popular choice for the sacrament in many places.