Review by: Raygun

This is a blend of Cognacs from 35-50 years old. Produced by grower/distiller Jacky Navarre in Grande Champagne. Containing some brandy from 1965, with the youngest distilled in 1979. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 20 minutes.

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Distiller: Jacky Navarre

Bottler: Jacky Navarre

Region/style: Grande Champagne Cognac 

ABV: 45%. Cask strength. 

Age: 35-50 years. Approximately 10% from 1965, 40% from 1970-75, and 50% from 1978-79

Color: 1.7 burnt umber

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Nose: Oh wow. That’s deep. Loads of rich wood, cherry, orange, and caramel custard. Significant florals, too.           

Palate: As intense as the nose was, it pales next to the palate. Very floral and fruity, featuring cherry, orange, and lemon. On top of that, rancio bringing in big umami flavors. Dried mushrooms and soy sauce minus the salt, that sort of thing, embroidered with woody spice. It’s absolutely massive even at 45%.   

Finish: More rancio, mushroom-like and now hazelnuts and walnuts as well. Cherry, orange, and caramel. Very long and intense. Like I’ll probably be tasting this tomorrow.

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Conclusion: This is remarkable stuff. I’ve been a little biased toward vintage/lot and single cask Cognacs, but this is forcing me to reconsider. This is a fantastic blend of different vintages, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s better than the sum of its parts. It demonstrates that such blends can be every bit as good as single vintages/lots, if not better. One of the best brandies I’ve ever had.

Score: 91

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent brandy worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.