Octuor, the Cognac for the benefit of the Festival of Saintes
The Saintes festival is an international classical music festival which takes place every year in mid-July over a period of ten days and offers about thirty concerts in Saintes and its surroundings.
On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, eight cognac creators have come together to offer their talent and their oldest eaux-de-vies to this prestigious festival!
- Cognac Bache Gabrieslen / Hervé Bache-Gabrielsen
- Estève family / Jacques Estève
- Cognac Fanny Fougerat / Fanny Fougerat
- Cognac Jean Fillioux / Pascal Fillioux
- Cognac Grosperrin / Guilhem Grosperrin
- Distillerie Merlet et Fils / Gilles Merlet
- Cognac Ragnaud Sabourin / Annie Ragnaud Sabourin
- Cognac Vallein Tercinier / Catherine Tercinier
All the funds raised from the sale of this cognac will be donated to the Saintes Festival.
The Cognathèque is proud to participate in this action!
For this, we have reserved 6 bottles of this precious beverage for you!
And of course, all sales will be donated to the Saintes Festival!
The Abbaye aux Dames continues its millenary influence, carried by music and the search for excellence with the Festival de Saintes in particular. Cognac is known throughout the world, thanks to its ancestral know-how, inherited and enriched from generation to generation.
The taste for excellence and transmission, the unwavering attachment to a terroir and its vitality, the passion for what we do, are at the genesis of the creation of the Jubilee cognac.
It is around these common values that the teams of the abbey and eight cognac producers have come together.
Octuor, a cognac of exception and passion
The octet is an ensemble of eight musicians.
They are eight cognac creators who have created a unique blend with precious eaux-de-vie from their family reserves. Unique by its collective elaboration and rare by its edition of 120 numbered bottles, Octuor is an exceptional cognac, fruit of generosity and passion.
Jean Fillioux has offered a Grande Champagne eau-de-vie (mono cru) from the early 1970s. This rich, powerful eau-de-vie, with aromas of dried and candied fruits, leather, chocolate, blond tobacco, toasted aromas, licorice and honeyed spices has a very nice length in the mouth.
Fanny Fougerat delivers an old Fins Bois. On the nose: poached pear, vanilla, roasted pineapple, nutmeg, wax. On the palate: a mixture of candied citrus fruits, wax, resin and saline notes; amplitude and restraint.
Gilles Merlet has drawn from the family reserve a blend of two eaux-de-vie: one from the Fins Bois vintage from the 1948 harvest, the year of Gilles Merlet's birth, the other from the Borderies vintage from the 1978 harvest, the year of Pierre Merlet's birth. The nose is delicate with slightly spicy woody scents that give relief to the rancio. The mouth has a slightly rough attack that softens with the flavors of roasted almonds, walnuts and gingerbread accompanied by a slight bitterness that fades in the end.
Jacques Estève offered a cognac from the family reserve. It is a blend of two Petite Champagne eaux-de-vie produced on his estate in Celle. One comes from his 1968 harvest in the Petite Champagne cru, the other from his 1970 harvest in the same cru. The nose is rich and intense, mixing rancio, dried fruits and iris. The mouth is ample, voluptuous with well-melted tannins rubbing shoulders with praline and liquorice.
Hervé Bache Gabrielsen proposes a small champagne, harvest of 1971, bouilleur de cru. In a floral nose, very little marked by the wood, are expressed the notes of rose and peach. In the mouth a nice roundness with the warmth of leather and the sweetness of honey. Final notes with white pepper and freshness of cedar.
Catherine Tercinier brings a very old multi-vintage cognac, a blend of which the youngest is 40 years old and the oldest is from 1922. The first nose welcomes us warmly and gives an idea of the complexity of this cognac. Tropical fruits such as papaya and pineapple, with a touch of rancio, appear. The second nose brings notes of jasmine, ginger and vanilla. In the mouth: soft and sweet at the beginning, with flavors of dried peach, sweet caramel and rancio. Then the tropical notes of the nose appear with ginger. The finish is soft and full of pleasure.
Annie Ragnaud Sabourin offered a cognac from the special reserve from the family Domaine de la Voute commune of Ambleville in the heart of the Grande Champagne. It is a blend of old eaux-de-vie from 30 to 60 years of age. The nose is sumptuous, rich with a bouquet of dried fruit, candied fruit, sweet spices and autumnal undergrowth. The famous Charente rancio harmoniously supports the whole. The mouth is ample, round and supple with a lot of complexity. The dried apricots mix with honey, burnt oak, licorice with a sweet bitterness. Very nice and long finish.
Guilhem Grosperrin brings a very old cognac from a winegrower in the village of Angeac-Champagne, located in the heart of the Grande Champagne. Very amber color. Nose of old Grande Champagne, still lively for its age, delicate fragrance of tubers and white flowers, powerful, with exotic notes. These elegant notes are completed by notes of dried flowers, with a very present rancio but softened by the years. In the mouth, hard wood resins, bitter chocolate, green pepper, old books, then spices again, and rancio, old yellow Chartreuse. The finish is long, marked by a lacy rancio, accompanied by notes of dried oranges and licorice, flowing honey. Both delicate and powerful, a very nice brandy.
Description
The development of the blend
The eight producers met several times throughout the year to develop the Octuor blend.
In July, during the Festival of Saintes, the producers associated with the experiment presented this work of assembly.
Octuor is characterized by a fine, elegant and very rich nose.
It proudly displays its maturity.
The fruity, spicy and vanilla scents highlight the "rancio charentais" which delicately envelops them. It is the sign of a long ageing in oak barrels.
In the mouth, the attack is frank, harmonious, fleshy, allowing a rainbow of flavors to form where dried apricots and almonds, prunes, licorice, honey, among others, mingle. The well-melted wood tannins bring a very slight bitterness that quickly fades in the long and beautiful finish.
Data sheet
- Degré
- 43 °
- Contenance
- 70 Cl
- Terroir
- Cognac