While Grande Champagne often gets all the attention, Fins Bois holds another side of the Cognac district – rounder, faster maturing, but with plenty of room for a house like Roullet to let time finish the rest of the work.
Expert's Description
Roullet XO Royal Appellation Fins Bois Contrôlée is a French Cognac from Fins Bois, bottled at 40%.
Roullet holds more than 140 hectares of its own vineyards in Fins Bois, the zone that surrounds the district's two finest crus, and the house has farmed this land since 1772. Fins Bois yields a rounder, less acidic base wine than Grande Champagne, which in turn matures faster – a trait well suited to long XO ageing.
XO requires at least 10 years of ageing under current AOC rules, but this Royal bottling rests a minimum of 15 years in oak casks, gradually taking on colour and depth from the wood.
The result is a rich, golden-copper cognac with amber highlights, where the melted tannins have had time to become fully rounded, and where the long ageing gives a fullness reaching well beyond the minimum requirement for XO.
Tasting Notes
Nose
Vanilla and dried fruit sit over notes of nuts, almond and a touch of dried apricot.
Palate
Full-bodied and rounded, with melted tannins carrying a sweetness of caramelised fruit and lightly toasted wood.
Finish
Long and warm, with a final trace of orange peel that ties the dried fruit notes together.
Specifications
Name: Roullet XO Royal Appellation Fins Bois Contrôlée
Distillery: Roullet
Country: France
Type: French Cognac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: French oak
EAN no.: 3760089070024
Serving suggestion: Best enjoyed at room temperature in a cognac glass as a digestif
Flavour Profile
Vanilla · Dried fruit · Nuts · Caramel
Did You Know?
Fins Bois is the largest of the six cru areas in the Cognac district and literally surrounds both Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne like an outer ring around the town of Cognac.
