A silver mark on the label, a bottle that sits heavy in the hand, and an aroma that explains why XO Cognac was once reserved for the patient. Renault's Carte d'Argent carries its name on its own silver scale, the house's signal for a Cognac with the fullness and calm that only decades of oak can give.
Expert's Description
Renault XO Carte d'Argent French Cognac is an XO Cognac from the house of Renault, bottled at 40%.
Renault was founded in 1835 by Jean-Antonin Renault in the town of Cognac, then just 25 years old but already carrying generations of Charentais merchant trade in his blood. Renault was an innovator from the start: while competitors shipped their Cognac in wooden casks, Renault was among the first to bottle it in glass, and by 1855 the house's Cognac was already sailing to Scandinavia.
Carte d'Argent, the silver mark, is the house's name for a classic XO style, an old Cognac with the fullness and rounded depth that only decades of cask ageing can produce. It is built to be sat with, not rushed through.
In the glass it shows plenty of body, with age visible in both colour and texture, yet never turning heavy or dull.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Deep and round, with dried figs, old leather and a trace of vanilla from years spent in oak.
Palate
Full and soft, with toasted nuts, dark chocolate and a warm, ripe fruitiness that spreads slowly across the tongue.
Finish
Long and warm, with a final touch of spiced oak that lingers well after the last sip.
Specifications
Name: Renault XO Carte d'Argent French Cognac
Distillery: Renault
Country: France
Type: French XO Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed in a tulip-shaped Cognac glass at room temperature, on its own or to round off a good meal.
Flavour Profile
Dried Fig · Toasted Nuts · Dark Chocolate · Spiced Oak
Did You Know?
Did you know the name Carte d'Argent, the silver card, comes from an era when Cognac houses used coloured labels as an internal system to signal style and age, long before XO became a fixed, regulated category in the region?