Doug Sher knows a fair amount about it, sold me a 1999 a few years back. Haven’t opened it.
A friend in San Francisco with a fabulous cellar introduced me to aged Chartreuse years ago - the green and yellow types. Aged Chartreuse is singular and unique by providing an interesting digestif experience - smoother and deeper in the same way IMHO that red wines find their way to the common pathway tertiary spectrum. The herbal biological flavors have to evolve over time, right - especially with so many “particles” in there? Not only can you experience something from the 30s/40s/50s (or a bit younger) and envision all the wine experiences like bottles of Chartreuse has given over the decades but you can really get something that was different from back then. It’s hard to explain but easy to show when sharing. I’ve been able to purchase some fine older bottles of yellow and green - prices seem to only be going up - these bottles will be popped over time and will become some of the most special things I’ll be able to share after a nice wine dinner. I advise any and all to find a young or old bottles of chartreuse - green if you must - and sock it away to see what happens.
Haven’t tried the VEP myself, but the podcast mentions that the regular green and yellow will likely evolve more significantly with age than the VEP, which is already has a decent amount of age on it when its released.
Ok, I was born next to voiron and probably had some Chartreuse in my baby bottles so I feel like I can add something here.
I’ll just focus on the commercially available products as I would not recommend any beginner to buy aged chartreuse at auction given the price they go for nowadays.
First of all, YES, Chartreuse improves in the bottle, over a long period of time (5,10 years minimum).
There are green, yellow AND episcopal (blend). Green are higher in alcohol and peppery, Yellow are sweeter and floral, episcopal are rare and balanced. Personally I love the young green and the aged Yellow. I fell the green lose their green/fresh quality over ageing while the yellow lose some of the sugar and develop some lovely caramel notes.
Standard Yellow and Green, are most of the stuff you can find on the market (even the aged one at auction, they differ by their production location but the recipe is similar). Pick some standard Yelllow and age them!
VEP, they are already aged, in foudre, you can age them further but as said above by someone else, they are already aged and you’re unlikely to see a worthy difference in one drinking generation.
1605: powerful green, I wouldn’t try to age
MOF: Episcopal, one of the best ageing Chartreuse. Had bottles of each editions since the first, great all around
Foudre 147: Episcopal only sold in Voiron, not 100% convinced by this one, I’ve stocked up on it anyway, Let’s revisit in a couple years.
9eme centenaire: the first editions were a little sweet to my palate, lately it’s been tasting great. Aged chartreuse too so maybe not the best candidate for further ageing, I think there are better candidates.
Fous de chartreuse : Vintage limited edition produced for the “Fous de Chartreuse” club located in the Bossetti cellar in Paris. You have to taste every vintage but it’s generally great with a good ageing potential.
Santa-Tecla: vintage Chartreuse produced every year for the Santa Tecla celebrations in spain. They do age wonderfully BOTH yellow and green. Careful, each vintage taste different.
Hope this help, I guess some of the Chartreuse described above are unavailable in some countries.
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One of my highlights of our annual fall trip to Paris is Chartreuse Day at Bossetti in the Marais. Once a year on an October Saturday, Bossetti hosts an all day Chartreuse festival at which various 3 liter bottlings of Chartreuse are poured, accompanied by snacks that have Chartreuse as an ingredient. It is great fun. While there was no Chartreuse Day in 2020 due to the pandemic, 2019 was memorable because Bossetti served a private bottling of Chartreuse VEP, 4 parts Jaune, 1 part Vert, married together for seven years. Only ten 3L bottles were filled. We drank two on Chartreuse Day 2019, after which, according to my Instagram post of that day, I took a long nap.
Chartreuse Day, 2018
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Bumping this thread as I’ve come across some VEP.
What are the recommended aging practices for Chartreuse, both VEP & green/yellow? Is it same as wine, 55 degrees or so?
I’m also curious about how people store their bottles they’re drinking. Every time I’ve ordered it at a restaurant it’s been served ice cold. Do people keep their open bottles in fridge/freeze and not the bar cart?
I’ve found surprisingly little guidance on this so appreciate any thoughts.
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Chartreuse ages glacially in bottle, decades, up to 40-50 years before there is any significant difference. Store upright in a cool dark place. VEP ages no differently than standard yellow or green.
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I have just been reading this thread, and it prompted me to look for a couple of old bottles of Chartreuse that have been long ago forgotten in some corner of the wine room. Now located, I remember I purchased them many decades ago from a long defunct liquor store. One is unopened and the other perhaps half full (both green label Garnier). I can’t remember the last time I tasted it, but I remember liking its uniquely herbal taste. They have to be over 40, perhaps 50 years old. ….Are you telling me I have been unknowingly storing some hidden treasure?
By the way, I have drunk many wines of this age and older. I do treasure them. I just don’t pay much attention to spirits and liqueurs. I know I also have a half empty bottle of 1929 Grand Champagne Cognac stuck away that I haven’t drunk in years. Anxious now though to taste the Chartreuse soon!
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There is a way of telling the year it was made by the serial number. You may have to google it, I remember subtracting the year Chartreuse was invented by the serial number to obtain the vintage.
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I’ve been able to experience some truly remarkable old green and yellow chartreuse over the years - have bought several bottles over the past couple of years also… It’s a true wonder to sip on something like this with lots of age on it - smooth, exhilarating, and gratifying all at the same time. Try and experience it if you like spirits/digestifs at all. I can’t think of a better tonic to enjoy after a long lunch/dinner - especially in colder climates! CHEERS
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Depending on bottle condition, those prices aren’t bad. At all.
I’m not sure how many manufacturers follow this but:
One of the ways to determine the age of a bottle of Chartreuse is the 6 digit code on the side of the screw cap. The first three digits will give you the year it was bottled if you add them to the year 1084. The second set of three digits will tell you on which day of that year the Chartreuse was bottled.
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Drank this Tarragona beauty, distilled 60+ years ago, last night at Les Arlots, which always has young and often old Chartreuse by the glass. Go for Thomas Brachet’s great cooking; stay for the Chartreuse!
When I stopped by Caves Bossetti today to pick up the annual limited edition Chartreuse (this year’s is green, distilled in 2017, and limited to 5000 bottles), I learned that Chartreuse Day will return to October for the first time since the pandemic. Last year, the proprietor told me that the move to June was permanent; today he said that there were many requests like mine to move the event back to October. Next Friday, October 6, I’ll spend the day (from 10am to 7pm) drinking Chartreuse from jeroboam. The announced bottles are (there are always a few surprises in addition, provided by the sponsors and private collectors):
PROGRAMME DES REJOUISSANCES
JEROBOAM GENEPI INTENSE
JEROBOAM CHARTREUSE JAUNE 2023
JEROBOAM CHARTREUSE VERTE 2023
JEROBOAM CHARTREUSE MOF 2023
JEROBOAM CHARTREUSE LIQUEUR D’ELIXIR 2023
JEROBOAM CHARTREUSE DU 9EME CENTENAIRE 2023
JEROBOAM FOUS DE CHARTREUSE 2023
JEROBOAM FOUS DE CHARTREUSE 2021
JEROBOAM FOUS DE CHARTREUSE 2019
"JEROBOAM CHARTREUSE « LA CUIVRE (LA SURPRISE A PINPIN)
Vous n’oublierez pas bien sur les nombreux Jeroboams d’eau mis a votre disposition (You will of course not forget the numerous Jeroboams of water at your disposal).
I can’t wait!
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If you survive report back
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I’m already a three-time survivor. I like to live dangerously.
Hi Mark,
what’s the wine list like at Les Arlots? Is it all natty or will I be able to find a drink? I suppose I could just drink Charteuse throughout the meal or bring my own vial of sulphur.
regards
Jeremy
Hi Jeremy,
The wine list is pretty natty, but Tristan (co-owner and wine honcho) always has something that I’ll happily drink. I tell him that we want something fresh and not natty, and he brings several bottles for our perusal. The restaurant is small and modest, and the wine list is what you might expect. Thomas (co-owner and chef) and Tristan also own the wine bar, BILLILI, next door. Food is good there, too. Thomas does not serve ‘tweezer food’. Someone at your table should order the homemade sausage and mashed, which is a dinner only item (except for Saturday lunch).