Tasting

How do you taste a Cognac from the smaller crus? A nosing glass or a tulip with a narrow opening keeps the aromas together, while a wide-bowled snifter lets much of it escape. The brandy should be at room temperature, around 18 to 20 degrees Celsius, and needs neither chilling nor warming in the hand.

From the Borderies, the independent family house Camus, founded in 1863, reportedly bottles a VSOP; Martell also carries a Single Cru Borderies in its range, and the Cognac Park brand produces a Borderies XO. Together they show the cru across different styles of maturation.

In a Borderies Cognac, violet and hazelnut lead on the nose, followed by toffee and a soft, rounded texture on the palate. First-time tasters should smell before sipping; the alcohol barely bites at 40 percent, more noticeably at cask strength. A few drops of water open up the brandy, but only after the first nosing.

A coastal counterpart comes from Grosperrin: the house has bottled a 1990 vintage from Bois ordinaires on the Île d'Oléron at 46.2 percent alcohol, Lot 933. Such bottlings show how a coastal cru tastes after decades in cask, inviting comparison with the inner crus.

Fins Bois can be found at many merchants who bottle crus separately; set it beside a Borderies, and you'll often notice that the Fins Bois comes across as fruitier and less floral. Color ranges from straw yellow in young brandies to mahogany in old ones, though it reveals little, since caramel coloring is permitted.

A tasting flight of three glasses, each with a small pour, is enough for comparison. Between samples, water and a piece of bread help cleanse the palate. When comparing crus, what matters most is how long the finish lingers and whether florals or fruit lead on the palate.