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image courtesy of Martell
Martell Cognac released its new VS Cognac called VS Single Distillery Cognac in 2017. This is a nod at the craft movement offering something different to the norm, in a clean minimalistic bottle.
It is the youngest Cognac to be launched by the house, aged for only two and a half years, the regulatory minimum. The Eaux-de-vie comes from both the Petite and Grande Champagne Cru and is distilled, aged, and blended by a single distillery. I don’t get a hint of Martell’s preferred Bordiers cru.
I tried it with a drop of water which stifled the nose but boosted the palate emphasising the individual flavours nicely. Interestingly, against my normal habit ice has the same effect. There is undoubtedly a homogeneous flavour to this Cognac – the effect of a single distillery.
I can see why the flavour profile might fit the current target market for the big four producers. It would make a good cocktail mixer. It can be a sipper but it lacks the complexity and interest of older eau-de-vie in the blend.
The colour is a lovely straw copper certainly designed using A150e colouring.
On the nose mellow citrus, stewed apples, hints of hazelnuts with vanilla and cinnamon
The lovely smooth palate is vanilla toffee apple, honey, with a balancing spice maybe nutmeg and ginger.
The finish is not so long lingering vanilla, caramel and fading peppery spice.
A likeable VS with a vigorous abundance of sweet flavour and fruit notes with these nicely balanced with the spice neither deep or complex. Lovely nose and a good palate. The experiment delivers everything that the pre-launch speculation hoped for. It is great value for money.
Nothing special but one of my afternoon favourites not for thoughtful drinking but great all the same. A good addition to the range replacing the old VS which I reviewed recently. The fact that I have purchased a second bottle now is probably testament to its appeal to different family members as well as my enjoying a warm spell of weather sipping on my deck. The whole family enjoys this Cognac, my wife, son, his girlfriend and my daughter. Is this a good thing?
Whilst Martell still produces serious VSOP and XO cognac they are to be applauded for this lighter VS. I did enjoy the previous much older VS at 5-7 years. The new one is very different. C’est la vie plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. The more things change the more they remain the same. This new expression will quickly become the accepted VS.
