Gilles Brisson X.O. Cognac 750ml

Gilles Brisson is a fourth-generation family estate in Châteaubernard, in the heart of Grande Champagne just a couple of miles from the town of Cognac. Cyril Brisson has run the property since 1989, having learned distillation and aging from his father, and his son Alexis is now training alongside him to carry the tradition into a fifth generation. The estate farms 65 hectares, a substantial holding for an independent Grande Champagne producer, and uses only fruit grown on its own land.

This X.O. is made entirely from Ugni Blanc grapes grown on the estate, distilled using only the coeur de chauffe, the purest heart of the distillation run. It carries the Grande Champagne 1er Cru de Cognac designation, reflecting the family's commitment to single-estate, single-cru production. Brisson ages its cognacs well beyond the legal minimums required for each category, and this X.O. spends over twenty years maturing in oak, a patience the family credits for the depth and silky texture found in the final blend.

On the nose, dried fig and plum lead, joined by nuts and leather. The palate is remarkably smooth and creamy, carrying that dried fruit character through to a long finish layered with rich cocoa, cayenne, and clove. It rewards slow sipping in a snifter, ideally on its own so its complexity can fully unfold.