Maison Surrenne Petite Champagne Cognac
The full name is Maison Surrenne Ancienne Distillerie Petite Champagne Cognac. This is a very approachable Cognac for people just starting to get into these French brandies. It is light, very fruity, and very drinkable. It reminds me of another approachable spirit, Balvenie 10 year.
This cognac is made from 100% Petite Champagne grapes which attest to its soft, floral flavor profile. The spirit is about 10 years old which is plenty of aging time since Petite Champagne age more quickly than their more powerful Grand Champagne cousins.
Maison Surrenne has a very palatable cognac here. The words "fresh" and "cognac" do not normally appear in the same sentence, but in this case, they belong together. If you're trying to classify this cognac in the XO/VSOP/VS system, Surrenne Petite Champagne would probably fall in the upper VSOP range as far as general quality.
Review
Honey gold color. Medium strength floral, lemon, and melon aromas. Delicate, slow open with a silky mouth feel. Then intense, fresh, pulpy fruit flavors and honeyed sweetness dance on a backbone of mild heat and dry spice. Faint hints of anise and herbs in a one minute finish. The oak takes a back seat here in an extremely floral, fruit forward style. Bottle tasted from lot 1993, bottled in September, 2006. Tasted 8/29/2008.
| Brand | Maison Surrenne |
| Country | France |
| Retail Price | $33 / 750 ml |
| Proof | 80.4 (40.2%) |