Pasanella and Son, Vintners :: As Good As They Look

Items: 1
Total: $50.00

AUDRY COGNAC 'MEMORIAL'

The house of A. Edmond Audry, founded in 1878 by the great-great-grand father of the current owner, specialized at the outset in sales of very old Cognac and quickly made an excellent name for itself. A book entitled COGNAC ILLUSTRE published in 1898 contained the following reference: “Audry has a widespread reputation. Its success is undoubtedly due to perfect distillation methods and the great care taken in producing fine quality Cognac.”

This benchmark Cognac is 65% Grande Champagne with the rest Petite Champagne, giving it tremendous structure, power and complexity. Rich and deep, this Cognac is composed of very old stocks, some dating back more than 60 years, which have naturally diminished in alcoholic power. The extraordinary balance of the long, persistent finish is largely due to the slow oxidation of tannins that occurs over long periods of time, a hallmark of the greatest Cognacs.

This is in no way a ‘light” Cognac, like the kind so many producers have rushed to produce. Rather, this is an “old-fashioned” sort of Cognac: deep, full, and worthy of calm, serene enjoyment. Its long, lingering aftertaste seems especially well-balanced because the hint of spicy bitterness from the oak has been tempered over the years due to the slow oxidation of tannin. This oxidation is one of the mysteries (or should we say "miracles”) of an alchemy that takes into account time, Cognac spirit, oak and the dark, silent cellars where the world’s greatest brandies are aged.

Blending is done three years before bottling, in a 50 hectoliter wooden vat. When the blend is ready, and fully corresponds to what we are looking for, about a quarter volume of a previous “Mémorial” blend is added. This is what is called pied de coupe in French. The aging process finishes off in small 350 liter barrels that have been carefully selected from among ones that have previously contained the oldest Cognac. This final three year period makes it possible for all of Memorial’s qualities to mesh and become focused, well balanced and reach a classical pitch. This final step is unusual these days, and costly, but it is what distinguishes this superlative Cognac.

$199.99

Quantity