Jean-Luc Pasquet, Lot 83 Petite Champagne, Swell de Spirits, 500ml

The great house Pasquet again, this time through some new indie bottlers who have selected this wee one as their very first bottling. Not the worst possible choice if you ask me. Colour: full gold. Nose: very lovely at almost 40 years of age, very fresh and fruity, almost refreshing, with luminous peaches, melons, fresh figs, then ylang-ylang and honeysuckle, perhaps elderflowers, then lighter honeys and beeswax. A wee resinous touch as well – 40 years, after all -  with some fir honey and some propolis, which makes for the best possible defence against any microbes and viruses. Yep. With water: lovely earthiness, more propolis, teak oil, cedarwood… Mouth (neat): superb, this time again with notes of pinot gris Vendages Tardives, or better yet, riesling Vendanges Tardives, which is rarer and clearly my favourite VT. Sadly no one's making these every year, sometimes they make them once in a decade. But back to this perfect well-aged cognac, it's really a two-step spirit, with first ripe and preserved fruits (the usual peaches and melons, plums…) then more resinous notes, with a tannicity (black tea) and a few savoury touches (chen-pi, Maggi). With water: it's not often that water would reveal more fruitiness instead of more tannicity. Moshi, mead, tangerine liqueur, citron… Finish: long, with rather more menthol and chlorophyll. Some kind of grand-cru mouthwash. Ha. Comments: is this really old cognac? Up for some endless debate? Excellent choice, Swell de Spirits!

 

SGP:551 - 90 points.