Cognac Lheraud is a leading producer of estate-grown Cognac and Pineaux des Charentes. It is located near Angeac-Charente in the Petite Champagne zone.The company’s modern form dates to 1970 when Andrée and Guy Lheraud started production under the family name. Their winegrower grandfather had built the first distillery decades earlier, although all output was sold to negociants. In all, the Lheraud family have been grape-growing and distilling in the locality since 1802. The Cognac Lheraud portfolio features the familiar VS, VSOP and XO releases, along with several premium editions of which this is. In 1998, the family bought the Armagnac producer Baron Gaston Legrand, located in the Bas Armagnac zone between Eauze and Nogaro. The estate came with a single 25-hectare (62-acre) plot, growing Ugni Blanc and Baco Blanc.
This Cognac is dark, mysterious and very drying from the very first sip. The aroma shows sweet vanilla and caramel, yet the palate tells a different story, showing oak, dark chocolate, leather and espresso, softened by creamy vanilla notes on the finish. All together, it’s a complex and intriguing pour. — Kara Newman
