Tesseron Cognac Lot 53 XO 'Perfection'

The Tesseron family is well-known among wine enthusiasts as the proprietors of two prominent Bordeaux wineries, Pontet Canet and Lafon Rochet. However, it was their work in Cognac that initially brought them fame. Since 1905, Cognac Tesseron has been distilling, aging, and blending old, XO Cognacs. Today, they select the very best brandies from their vast reserves of ancient blends and combine them to create five unique and exquisite XO Cognacs. Despite being located in a region that is primarily dominated by major brands, the Tesseron family has managed to establish themselves as a genuine benchmark. Their success is similar to that of the top grower-producers in Champagne (as opposed to the Grandes Marques), in that the exceptional quality of Tesseron's XO-only Cognacs has allowed this family-owned producer to carve out a significant niche among the giants of the Cognac world.

Prior to releasing their own small batches of Cognacs, the Tesseron family had been a highly respected supplier of old, XO Cognacs to large houses for over a century. The estate still grows all three traditional Cognac grape varieties—Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, and Colombard. Although Folle Blanche and Colombard have nearly disappeared in the region due to their difficulty in growing and low crop yield, they are essential as they add an extra dimension to the final blend.

The Tesseron cellars, which date back to the 13th century and were formerly part of the crypt of the local church, are cool and damp and the perfect location to age Cognac. Here, young 'eaux-de-vie' is left to age and mature quietly in old oak casks for many years. These casks are made by craftsmen from ancient oaks that were felled in the nearby Limousin forests. During the aging process, the Cognac gently oxidizes, absorbs soft tannins from the old oak casks, and some is lost forever due to evaporation, also known as the "angels' share."