Cognac - Rémy Martin Fine Champagne
V.S.O.P.
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Rémy Martin Fine Champagne V.S.O.P. Cognac
Imported by Rémy Amerique, Inc., New York, New York
PROOF: 80 (40%)
TYPE: Cognac - Grande Champagne Growth 55% Petite Champagne 45 %
AGE: Blended to Profile 8 -16 year Years Old
PRICE: $50.00 750ML
Notes: Produced in the heart of the Cognac region, Remy only uses grapes grown from the Cognac Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne area for this, their VSOP offering. (Other Remy Products uses different growths and/or proportions of growths for each). Distilled in small classic alembic charentais copper stills the resulting eau de vie is then aged in Limousin oak in their private cellars and then is carefully blended to profile. Remy offers many different cognacs to fit ones taste and/or budget within their portfolio. Remy's is also actually one of the few producers who bottle a vintage year release, the latest being their 1989 release. Two other cognacs of theirs that we have reviewed are the 1989 Vintage and 1738 Accord Royal
First Impression: Apricots, figs, apples, vanilla, caramel, leather and oily nuts and some oak. A sweet, concentrated champagne or jam like-like smell to it with an admixture of floral scents. Very distinctive, aromatic with a nice blend of heavier bass notes to it also.
Appearance: Attractive red/gold color, leaves thin coat on swirling. Could be mistaken for a bourbon in color.
Taste: Sweetish entry , then drying pleasantly. Medium silky body, with a lot of ripe fruit notes, with concentrated almost raisin or ice wine type notes with hints of vanilla and oak pepper and a lovely lingering finish.
Drinks: We tried the drinks mentioned on the website, all of which we can recommend. Worked well in a Black Pagoda (basically a brandy Manhattan -see Gary Regan's Bartenders Bible) and the fruitiness made for a wonderful Cognac base for red Sangria (soak the fruit in it overnight for best results) even you are looking to make a very smooth and understated version rather than use a cheaper, rawer product for a more rustic version.
Bottle: In this case the limited edition Josephine Baker tribute by David LaChapelle shrink wrapped around the bottle. Standard production bottle: Simple green glass cognac bottle (think bell or apple shaped with a long neck), somewhat distinctive (drawing of Centaur hurling a javelin). Gold letters "VSOP" on red field. In both cases real cork closure give it a nice feel - a number of cognac companies now use screw caps which cheapens the package and presentation.
Other: One of the more outstanding products in large portfolio of products ranging in age and price.
Final Thoughts: A very nice medium to heavy bodied, fruity and aromatic, cognac that is easy to drink either on its own or also mixes well in cocktails. A very good value in terms of price/quality ratio and easy to find almost anywhere.
Website: http://www.remy.com
A somewhat slow loading, flash intensive site,with large amounts of history, pictures, recipes, etc. Not terribly straight-forward and easy-to-navigate compared to some but loaded with information - may just take you a bit to find what you are looking for.
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