Tesseron Cognac Lot 29 - Exception

Having pretty much exhausting (or becoming exhausted) my lifelong study of Burgundy & CA Pinots (although there is always something to learn), I’ve decided to take on Cognacs as my next area of specialization.
I’ve had a dozen or so in my life, so I’m hardly an expert. But I tend to immerse myself in anything I do and this journey will be no exception.
Up to this point, my favorite was the Delamain Pale & Dry, a fine QPR as expressed by many.
I liked it because it has a certain feminine aspect to it’s taste profile.
I HATE big, hot, blatantly alcoholic spirits. The Delamain is not of this genre.

I wanted to try something that was universally regarded as a special example of an aged Cognac.
After reading and listening to many online reviews, this Tesseron seemed like a fine candidate.

It will take some time to get on solid ground as far as tasting notes go.
This will be a general initial tasting note as I’ve read that the bottled Cognac will improve with exposure to oxygen over time.
After a couple of weeks I’ll get down to specifics.

Tesseron Lot 29 - Exception
I poured my usual portion (one I can nurse for an hour if I choose to)
This really has a nice coppery color.
The nose is pure milk chocolate.
The entry is fruity and sweetly spiced. There comes a 2-3 second pause and then BOOM! The finish cascades in like a Tidal Wave.
Long lasting, powerful (but not overdone) with a dry piney/walnut aftertaste. (perhaps this sensation is what people describe as rancio).
Unbelievable balance! A tingle on the tongue but absolutely NO alcohol burn on the back of the tongue or throat.
This is MUCH TOO easy to drink. Silly easy.
I couldn’t stop sipping this and in fact quickly poured a second dram. I could have had a third or fourth but I need to milk this puppy for all it’s worth (It ain’t cheap!)

At any rate, this is BY FAR the best spirit I’ve ever tasted and is one of the top drinks that has ever passed my lips.
If there is a better Cognac than this, I’m in for a fun ride.
I won’t publish a score as I want to get better acquainted with this and give the bottle a chance to “settle in”.
Stay tuned.

TTT

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Tesseron 29 is fantastic. I’ve had it twice at Artisan Wine Depot’s tastings of the Tesseron line. I couldn’t convince myself to buy one, though.

FWIW I like their whole lineup.

How much was it at artisan?

I hear ya. I auctioned off some wine at K&L to finance this purchase.
This was the most ($600) I’ve ever spent on a bottle of anything. (previous high was $250 for 1985 DRC Romanee Conti)

I look at it this way.
I have no problem spending $100 on a bottle of fine wine.(And likely you have no objection to that too).
A bottle of wine can last you for an entire evening.
If you split up the Tesseron bottle into 6 portions, that gives you six evenings of pleasure. (125 ml is PLENTY enough for me!)
Exactly the price of six bottles (and experience) of that $100 wine.
Spirits pricing is different than wine. A little Cognac goes a long way and will not die in the bottle.

TTT

A very entertaining tasting video featuring four Tesserons.
Going to Valhalla. I enjoyed that ride!

TTT

The Lot 29 and 53 are both special, but the former has always been the star IMO. I remember when it was closer to $300. I generally keep the 76 and 90 around, and they’re both solid for more of an everyday drink, but there’s a precipitous drop-off from the previous two.

A couple of years ago the Peninsula in Beverly Hills had the Extreme by the glass; since it comes by the 1.75L and I don’t imagine they sell so much they still might. Expensive, but not unreasonable at $100 or so. There’s a weight and impression sweetness (without actually being sweet) that even surpasses the 29. Very special.

Huge Tesseron fan, never had the 29 - didn’t see the price increases coming (should have bought once the RMP scores dropped sigh). Anyhow I grab a 53 every now and again for a special occasion drink and never disappointed. The 76 is tasty but nothing like the 53, ymmv

It’s still not much over 300 in Europe.

Before Parker gave the 29 100 points and the 53 98 points, you could get the 29 for under $200 and the 53 for around $100 with two Riedel crystal tulip cognac glasses at the old Sam’s in Chicago. Both are great, but I give the slight edge to the 53.

Oh oh.
The Lot 53 may be in my future…

TTT

Unless I’m mistaken, the lot numbers refer to the age of the base cognac in the blend. So it seems natural that the price will go up over time.

Oh oh.
The Lot 53 IS in my future…
Will report soon.

TTT

If anyone is interested in the lot 29 for less than typical US retail prices, PM me.

My impression from the discussion at the tasting was that when they introduced the names, they were an indication of the average age of the blends (e.g. 29 was average 1929), but going forward the approximate average ages would remain the same, not the years of distillation. So new blends of Lot 53 would always average roughly 50 years old on release, but “53” wouldn’t imply anything related to 1953.

BTW, if anyone has any suggestions as to comparable Cognacs, I’m open.

Plus if anybody disagrees with anything I say, please feel free to do so.
I’m a newbie when it comes to Cognac and appreciate the opportunity to learn from those with more experience…

For instance, please describe your impression of what “rancio” is all about. (I’ve read the usual descriptors)

TTT

That does make more sense, though doesn’t quite justify the steadily increasing prices as well.

There are quite a few nice Cognacs out there. Normandin-Mercier made quite a few great ones; the ANS 76 they released lately was spectacular. Navarrre Vielle Reserve is fantastic. Comandon makes quite a few nice cognacs as well, especially the older single barrels if you can find them.

I’ve really enjoyed the Jean Fillioux Cognacs. See Jean Fillioux Cognac Grande Champagne - Importers of French Armagnac Cognac Calvados Gin Absinthe Whiskey

I’ve already pounded a bottle of this.
So much for moderation… [shrug.gif]

TTT

I like the tesseron a lot but I’d branch out to a few
other well aged ones like Navarre and Normandin Mercier