Chateau Montifaud V.S.O.P. Petite Champagne Cognac 700ml

Château de Montifaud has belonged to the Vallet family since 1837, when Augustin Vallet founded the estate in the heart of the Petite Champagne appellation. Now guided by the sixth generation, the family farms roughly ninety hectares split between Petite and Grande Champagne, handling every stage on-site from vineyard to bottle. Rather than blending the two crus together, Montifaud produces separate expressions for each, letting this VSOP speak purely for Petite Champagne.

The cognac is distilled entirely from Ugni Blanc grapes, held on the lees for two to three months before a traditional double distillation in centuries-old copper stills. Maturation begins in new oak casks for the first year, then moves into older barrels ranging from four to fifteen years old for the remainder of the process, a cycle that typically runs eight to ten years, well beyond the four-year VSOP minimum.

The color is a warm golden hue. On the nose, vineyard flowers give way to dried blossom, pear, and apricot, with a gentle wave of vanilla underneath. The palate is round and supple, carrying that same stone fruit and floral character through a long, gently spiced finish softened by a subtle rancio. It drinks well neat at room temperature, though its structure holds up nicely in a long drink as well.