I use YouTube to share my knowledge and opinions. I turn on the camera and just start talking.
Unprepared and unscripted.
Works well too. So far.
But it has its limits. I often can't really go into depth. Sometimes I can't think of terms, or I simply forget to mention certain points. Everything happens spontaneously in my head. That's what makes it so authentic.
In addition to YouTube, I now also want to make use of the written form. Or, as in the case of this report, I use the written word to really process all of my emotions.
It's very rare that a product leaves me speechless. An overwhelming flood of impressions that I have to process first. Moments that change everything. A video can't do justice to these special moments. I would just stammer something to myself.
I had one of these rare moments with the GOTA (Grape of the Art) 1967 bottling from Lheraud. Not only was it the best cognac I have ever had the pleasure to taste, but this drop changed my entire view on brandy.
I admit: Even though I enjoy drinking cognac, I am bored by the category. I am amazed by the confidence of the French, who seriously believe that cognac is the most complex and diverse spirit in the world.
How absurd this statement is is not only shown by rum as a category - the sheer volume of old Guyana bottlings puts an end to any discussion. For those skeptical of my statement, I recommend a 1988 Diamond, a 1978 Skeldon or a 1994 REV Enmore.
That´s it.
At this point I would like to say that I am truly privileged to have been able to taste plenty bottlings from the world of cognac. I have been a guest at the leading houses in the category and have been able to enjoy a wide range of qualities, where each individual bottle costs several thousand euros. Even in my own bar we have a wide range of great qualities.
Why am I telling you this? My statement and my judgment are not made carelessly, but are based on 16 years of tasting experience.
But everything was about to change: I was able to try the qualities of Lheraud. First, the 1967 from Grape of the Art, bottled at cask strength with 46.0% VOL.
I bring the glass to my nose and experience an incredible depth. Wood redefined. A maturity without being overloaded. Enormous fruit in the form of dried apricot and a little raisin. Then this nectar spreads in my mouth. Everything becomes quiet. The perfect wood. The best barrel aging I have ever experienced. The barrel is powerfully present without getting out of hand in any way. Neither too young nor too old. Neither green notes nor musty. Simply perfect. I could add lots more nuances that are changing and develop every second: from chocolate to mild coffee to allspice, gingerbread and clove. The apricot becomes more like a dried plum, complemented by nuts. Powerful without being strong and edgy.
My eyes widen. I'm not quite able to comprehend what's happening. A depth and complexity on a scale I've never experienced before in the world of cognac. Not even close. My words disappear. Everything is dedicated to the moment.
A moment so full of beauty that I almost cry. The hard-to-describe taste of musk and aged wood is still in my mouth even minutes later.
How is that possible? How could this quality be produced? Perhaps a barrel of the century and just pure luck? I try the 1994, bottled by Lheraud himself. I realize: As always, it's not luck. Pure skill. The 1994 is also brutal.
My thoughts torment me. Then I get angry: I don't understand the product! I don't make this statement lightly either: I have now uncovered almost all the important secrets of spirits production for matured spirits. In particular, I have researched barrel aging in a depth that few have done before me.
And yet I stand here and don't understand this product.
Humility fills me.
I suddenly feel like I've been transported back to the beginning. Like a primary school student who is just starting out and is allowed to learn from a great master. Something that had previously only been triggered in me by great producers like Georg Hiebl, when I was able to learn how he makes his Williams pear brandy.
Thank you for allowing me to understand what cognac really means through Lheraud. Thank you for allowing me to gain a wider idea of what is possible.
As Oliver from RumX so aptly said: "consciousness-expanding".
GOTA Lheraud 1967
- 100/100 -
Region: Cognac
Grape variety: Ugni Blanc grapes
Alcohol content: 46.0% (cask strength)
Distillation: Pot Still
Age: 56 years
Bottled: 07/2023
Barrel No. 15788 (wet warehouse)
Quantity: 132 bottles
Ps: I was so excited that I asked Sascha from Armagnac.de to get the stuff from Lheraud. We selected a few vintages and put together a set of 4x 200ml: Cognac Lheraud .
