The Last Drop Distillers has announced their 14th release, a Grande Champagne Cognac from 1925.
This rare Cognac will fill just 182 bottles, with only a third making their way to the U.S.
1925 was the year The Great Gatsby was published, and the Jazz Age was in full swing; work on Mount Rushmore began, and the first edition of The New Yorker was released. Simultaneously, on a wine-growing family estate in the Grande Champagne region of Cognac, ripened fruit was being picked and double distilled in a traditional wood-fired still. The liquid rested in a special cask, undisturbed, until 1940 when German forces advanced on the region and the cask had to be quickly hidden behind a false wall, remaining there, forgotten for nearly a century, the company says.
Fast forward to 2018. The Last Drop Distillers shifted their palates to France, searching for a cognac from Grande Champagne, considered the best and most prestigious Cru in the cognac region. They found a family estate that had been growing and distilling cognacs since the early 19th century, and in their cellar lay this long-forgotten cask of cognac that had only recently been uncovered behind a wall.
The exact grape varietals have been lost, but the 1925 Cognac was likely crafted predominantly of Folle Blanche together with Ugni Blanc, Colombard and even a little Muscat. In addition, because of its distinct sweetness, the 1925 Cognac is believed to have been aged in an eclectic choice of an ex-Pineau des Charentes cask. On the eye, the 1925 Cognac is mahogany, with burnished copper highlights, while on the nose it opens with floral notes and fruity hints of red and black cherry. Once tasted, it demonstrates its vintage, the company says, while “having all the freshness and lively vigor of an eau-de-vie a third of its age.”
“The fruit (very ripe exotic fruits, such as mango, jackfruit, mangosteen and papaya) overlays mellow but powerful oak flavors which stop short of astringency,” says Clive Carpenter, Gérant, Domaine Breuil de Segonzac. “The almost explosive ‘rancio’ provides great length to the palate but is beautifully offset by the elegant acidity that brings a touch of lightness. In the finish, we detect an unusual hint of ‘café au lait’, with a touch of English toffee, alongside oaky, orange peel, prune and nutty flavors.”
As with all of The Last Drop releases, the 1925 Cognac comes together with its signature 50-ml. miniature replica and pocket-sized tasting book with additional pages for personal tasting notes. Retailing for a suggested price of $4,750, the 1925 Cognac will be available upon request at select fine spirits and wine merchants nationwide.
