We shut the warehouse doors for a few hours, pushed aside a pallet of calendar boxes, and turned our Charente workplace into a makeshift tasting room.
Eight of us around the table:
- Max – Founder
- Thomas – Marketing
- Virginia – Producer Relations
- Taylor – Originals & B2B
- Robert – Tech
- Malte – Operations
- Martina – Warehouse
- Nicole – Warehouse
Yes, we tasted in the midst of our Black Friday and Christmas madness.
Eleven XO Cognacs, all from small or independent houses, all purchased exactly like any customer would. No big brands, no marketing budgets, just products from the people who actually grow the grapes, distill the wine, and keep this region alive.
How we tasted: blind in the warehouse
We followed the same 100-point system we’ve used in past family tastings and that is used on our Cognac Expert review platform. Eye, nose, palate, finish, overall balance were the main points for consideration.
- All bottles were wrapped (to conceal their identity) and coded by someone not participating in the actual tasting.
- We all used identical tulip glasses.
- Everyone scored quietly on paper; no discussion of points until the end.
- Only after all scores were in did we reveal which glass was which.
We then averaged the scores to get a final ranking. Important caveat: 86–87 points here is already good to very good. Everything on the table is something we’d happily pour for friends.
The 11 best small producer XO cognacs from our blind warehouse tasting
We go from 11 up to 1. Along the way you’ll see different personal favorites, and a clear winner by points.
11. Choloux XO Bons Bois Cognac: the honest daily XO – 86 points
The bottle that finished last on points, but first in “I’d happily drink this on a Tuesday night” votes.
Tasting snapshot:
- Nose: prunes, roasted nuts, a bit of tobacco pouch
- Palate: round, slightly rustic, dried fruits and spice, with a comforting warmth
- Finish: medium, woody and gently spicy
“This is what I imagine when somebody says ‘honest country Cognac’,” Martina said. She actually had Choloux as her personal number three. Nicole nodded: “If a bottle disappears quickly at home, it’s usually something like this.”
For a value-driven small producer XO, this is a very safe bet and has become a customer favorite. We can see why.
Explore Choloux XO Bons Bois Cognac.
10. Couillaud XO Lot 76 Petite Champagne: quiet 1976 elegance – 87 points
Couillaud’s Lot 76 Petite Champagne XO is exactly what it sounds like: a Petite Champagne Cognac built around 1976 distillate, bottled as a small-batch XO. It’s part of a tiny family house that ages its eaux-de-vie slowly in humid cellars. It’s very much a small artisanal production.
In the glass it showed a more restrained elegant profile than some of the louder XOs.
- Nose: polished oak, walnut, orange zest, a hint of tobacco
- Palate: drier style, with tea, marmalade, gentle rancio and old wood
- Finish: long but understated; more whisper than shout
“This is the one you pour for someone who already owns too much Scotch,” Malte said. “It feels familiar enough, but the Petite Champagne backbone makes it feel more vertical than sweet.”
A couple of us scored it in the 89–90 range; a couple of others found it “a bit too dry” for their personal taste. That’s blind tasting for you.
If you like slightly drier, mature Petite Champagne with the unique character of a single year, this is your bottle.
Discover Couillaud XO Lot 76 Petite Champagne Cognac.
9. A. de Vacqueur XO Grande Champagne: classic and comforting – 88 points
A. de Vacqueur is another small house working classic Ugni Blanc on clay-limestone soils, marrying younger XO-aged eaux-de-vie with much older Grande Champagne parcels that have spent 20–25 years in fine-grained Tronçais oak.
In the glass, their XO Grande Champagne showed as a “textbook XO Cognac” in the best sense.
- Nose: baked apples, vanilla, soft spices, polished oak
- Palate: fruity and comforting – think poached pear, soft caramel, cinnamon – balanced by a gentle woody backbone
- Finish: medium-long, clean, appetizing
“This is the one I’d hand to a friend who says they ‘just like a good XO Cognac’,” Virginia said. “No edges, no fancy stuff, just very well made, well blended.”
Max: “I like that you can pour this for almost anyone at the table and nobody will complain.”
Check out A. de Vacqueur XO Grande Champagne Cognac.
8. Grateaud XO Borderies: 30-year floral cream – 88 points
The Grateaud estate in Borderies is very much winegrower first, marketing later. Their XO Borderies is around 30 years old and bottled at 43% ABV, which already tells you they take the contents seriously.
In the glass this stood out as one of the more floral, creamy XOs of the lineup.
- Nose: violets, acacia honey, fresh cream, a bit of pastry and other desserts
- Palate: silky texture, a mix of white flowers, vanilla, and light toffee, lifted by that extra degree of alcohol
- Finish: elegant, slightly floral and nutty
Taylor smiled as soon as the identity was revealed. “I’ve stood in those Borderies parcels. The nose on this is basically what I’d call comfort Cognac.”
Thomas loved the balance: “This feels like the kind of bottle that a few years ago almost nobody talked about, and now people start whispering ‘have you tried Grateaud?’”
If you’re curious about what a long-aged Borderies from a small grower can do, this should be on your list. Taste Grateaud XO Borderies Cognac.
7. Maxime Trijol XO Grande Champagne: decorated, but still very real – 89 points
Maxime Trijol is one of the better-known independent houses in this lineup, but still family-run and deeply rooted in the region. Their XO Grande Champagne is one of the more well-known XO Cognacs in this list.
In the blind lineup it presented as a polished, slightly more international style, and that’s not a criticism.
- Nose: toffee, vanilla, dried apricot, roasted nuts
- Palate: rich, creamy, layered, caramelised fruit, sweet spice, gentle oak, very complete
- Finish: long, smooth, with a soft spicy finish
“This is the crowd-pleaser of the night,” Robert said. “If we poured this in a bar next to some big-name XO, most people would just point to this and say ‘that’s the one’.”
Taylor had it tied for second on his sheet. “Solid Cognac. It’s accessible and easy but still feels like Cognac, not a sugar bomb.”
If you want a decorated Grande Champagne XO that still comes from a family house rather than a multinational, this is a strong anchor for any self-curated flight.
Explore Maxime Trijol XO Grande Champagne Cognac.
6. Guiet-Petit XO Grande Champagne: deep-amber vineyard secret – 89 points
Guiet-Petit (Béatrice Petit) in Verrières is the definition of “if you know, you know.” And Verrières is one of the most highly reputed zones of the Grande Champagne. Their XO Grande Champagne is bottled at 42% ABV, built from roughly 25-year-old eaux-de-vie, and shows a deep amber color in the glass.
The style is more intense and slightly more old-school than some others.
- Nose: dark honey, coffee, candied orange citrus peel, toasted oak
- Palate: powerful but controlled, bitter orange, dark chocolate, roasted nuts, a touch of leather
- Finish: long, with coffee and candied orange lingering
Virginia, who knows the estate well, grinned after the reveal: “It’s easy to say now that it has been revealed, but this smells like Béatrice’s cellar. That mix of coffee, old wood, and orange citrus. There’s nothing polished away here, and that’s exactly why I love it.”
Max: “No frills Grande Champagne. There’s a lot to like here. Easy”.
For a serious, characterful small-grower XO from premier cru vineyards, Guiet-Petit is one of the discoveries we’re happiest to share.
Discover Guiet-Petit XO Grande Champagne Cognac.
5. Vallein Tercinier XO Vieille Réserve: mature Fine Champagne comfort – 90 points
Vallein Tercinier is not exactly a secret anymore among connoisseurs, but it’s still a family house doing things their way. Their XO Vieille Réserve is a Fine Champagne blend (mostly Grande Champagne with Petite Champagne), and the youngest component in the blend is around 35 years old, so we’re already flirting with Hors d’Age territory.
On paper it’s “just” an XO; in the glass it feels significantly older.
- Nose: rancio, candied citrus, dried apricot, polished old wood, spices
- Palate: rounded, elegant, with dried fruits, nougat, and soft baking spices
- Finish: long, mellow, almost pastry-like
“This is like sinking into a very old leather armchair,” Thomas said. “You don’t need to think, just enjoy.”
Robert had it as his personal number one: “This is the bottle I’ll actually open for Christmas.”
If you want one XO from this list that already gives you a glimpse of very old Cognac without going to Hors d’Age prices, this is it. Really crazy value here.
Explore Vallein Tercinier XO Vieille Réserve Cognac.
4. Audry XO Fine Champagne: the returning champion – 91 points
Audry XO already performed extremely well in previous XO family tastings, where it landed at the top of almost everyone’s list. It’s a Fine Champagne XO, a blend of Grande and Petite Champagne, bottled at 40% and known for its balance of fruit, spice, and oak. A customer review on the shop sums it up with notes of peppery spice, honey, toffee on the nose, and dried apricot, allspice, and oak on the palate.
Our blind impressions this time were very much in line with that.
- Nose: pepper, honey, toffee, dried fruits
- Palate: rich but not heavy – apricot, baking spices, gentle wood; everything in its place
- Finish: long, spicy, warming
“It’s almost annoying how consistent this is,” Malte said. “Every time we taste a larger lineup, Audry is just… right there near the top again.”
Max: “If you want one bottle to understand why Fine Champagne became its own thing, this is a great starting point.”
If you like complete, balanced Cognacs that manage to be both comforting and interesting, Audry XO deserves a permanent spot on your short list.
Enjoy Audry XO Cognac.
3. François Voyer XO Gold: complex but easy to drink – 92 points
In our earlier XO Family Tasting Round 2, François Voyer XO Gold landed on the podium and was described as “complex but round and easy to drink.” That description still works. Voyer is a Grande Champagne specialist, and XO Gold has been turning heads since it launched in 2007, picking up multiple awards and building a solid reputation as a reference-point XO from premier cru vineyards.
Blind this time, it again landed in everyone’s top half, and for two of us it was the clear winner.
- Nose: candied citrus, white flowers, honey, rancio, gentle spice
- Palate: layered and evolving – stone fruits, vanilla, nuts, a little tobacco; there’s a lot going on but it stays graceful
- Finish: long, with citrus and rancio notes echoing back
“This is the Cognac that keeps changing in the glass,” Taylor said. “You come back ten minutes later and it’s doing something new.”
Virginia: “It has that Grande Champagne backbone, energy without aggression.”
If you’re building a flight around Grande Champagne and you want one bottle that screams “this is why people obsess over this cru,” Voyer XO Gold is hard to beat.
Find François Voyer XO Gold Cognac.
2. Pasquet Tradition Familiale Exclusive Edition: organic soul, Cognac Expert exclusive – 93 points
Jean-Luc Pasquet has become almost synonymous with organic Cognac: vineyard work without pesticides, low-intervention cellar work, and a style that lets the fruit and the soil speak. The Pasquet Tradition Familiale Exclusive Edition is exactly what it sounds like, a family XO bottling that we selected together with the estate, bottled at 42.1% ABV, natural color and no additives, based on Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie.
Blind, it turned out to be one of the most expressive, “alive” Cognacs on the table.
- Nose: fresh honey, orchard fruit, a little wax, gentle spice
- Palate: vivid and precise, ripe fruits, citrus, honey, with a certain tension from the higher ABV; nothing feels doctored
- Finish: long, clean, with honey and citrus peel
Taylor: “Totally un-messed-with pristine Cognac. Tremendous clarity and definition.”
Max, after the reveal: “I’m relieved this landed where it did. If our own exclusive doesn’t perform in a blind tasting, we’re doing something wrong.”
Several of us wrote some variation of “feels alive” in the margins. If you’re curious about organic Cognac and want a bottle that shows what careful small-producer work can do, this is a near-essential pick. But let’s be clear that it has a more spritely profile, more on clean chiseled fruits and spirit and less on oak and spice.
Discover Pasquet Tradition Familiale Exclusive Edition.
1. Le Roch XO Borderies: floral winner from a quiet house – 94 points
Our winner by average score, and one of the clearer “this is special” moments of the night, was Le Roch XO Borderies.
In the glass, even blind, it stood out.
- Nose: intense florals (violet, heather), cinnamon, vanilla, a bit of smoke and roasted hazelnuts
- Palate: silky but precise – flowers, spices, honey, gentle oak; nothing cloying, everything integrated
- Finish: long, with a lingering floral-spicy echo that makes you reach for the glass again
Thomas: “If you want to explain Borderies to someone in one glass, this might actually be it.”
Nicole, who doesn’t usually chase floral Cognacs, had it as her personal number one. “It’s floral but not perfume. It still tastes like something grown in the ground, not concocted.”
Max summed it up: “This is exactly the sort of bottle that proves why we spend so much time on small houses. No billboard in the world will tell you this exists. You have to go looking for it.”
For us, this is currently one of the best small-producer XO Cognacs you can buy if you love characterful Borderies and true craftsmanship. Of course, none of this comes as surprise coming from the deft touch off Guilhem Grosperrin.
Explore Le Roch XO Borderies Cognac.
Le Roch XO
Le Roch XO Borderies Cognac is the winner of our 2025 small producer XO family tasting. It’s a distinguished offering from the lesser-known Cognac house, Le Roch, a brand under La Gabare (Jean Grosperrin). The Le Roch XO is a Borderies Cognac bottled at 42% alc./vol.
Explore Le Roch XO Borderies Cognac.
How to build your own small producer XO tasting at home
You don’t need eight people, a forklift and a pallet jack to recreate this evening.
A few simple ideas:
- Pick 3–5 bottles that follow a theme
- “Borderies focus”: Giboin XO, Grateaud XO, Le Roch XO, Ordonneau Vieille Réserve
- “Grande Champagne”: Guiet-Petit XO, Maxime Trijol XO GC, François Voyer XO Gold, Pasquet Tradition Familiale Exclusive Edition
- “Fine Champagne comfort”: Audry XO + Vallein Tercinier XO Vieille Réserve
- “Borderies focus”: Giboin XO, Grateaud XO, Le Roch XO, Ordonneau Vieille Réserve
- Taste blind if you can
Wrap the bottles, pour into identical glasses, and score them simply: 1–5 on nose, palate, finish. The numbers don’t really matter; the discussion does. - Mix experience levels at the table
In our warehouse, we had producer relations, tech, operations, marketing, and warehouse staff all tasting side by side. The best comments usually come from the person who doesn’t overthink it. - Let the region speak
Pay attention to what the different crus are doing:- Borderies: floral, often creamy, sometimes nutty.
- Grande Champagne: energy, length, structure, apricot, peach, and orange fruits.
- Fine / Petite Champagne blends: roundness and balance, a complex balance between fruit, spice, and oak.
- Bons Bois: rustic charm and warmth.
- Borderies: floral, often creamy, sometimes nutty.
Support the people behind the glass. Every bottle on this page is the end result of pruning, ploughing, distilling, barrel-rolling, and waiting – often for decades – done by people whose names will never appear on a mainstream billboard.
Final thoughts: choosing the right small producer XO for you
If you like:
- Floral, elegant Cognac → Start with Le Roch XO Borderies or Grateaud XO Borderies.
- Structured Grande Champagne → Look at François Voyer XO Gold, Guiet-Petit XO, or Maxime Trijol XO Grande Champagne.
- Balanced, classic Fine Champagne → Audry XO and Vallein Tercinier XO Vieille Réserve.
- Organic, low-intervention “alive” character → Pasquet Tradition Familiale Exclusive Edition.
- Rustic charm and everyday drinking → Choloux XO Bons Bois and Couillaud XO Lot 76 Petite Champagne.
We tasted these in a rather cold warehouse in the Charente, surrounded by boxes and pallets, but what’s actually in the glass is the work of families who have been tending vines, watching stills, and listening to barrels for decades.
If this page does its job, you’ll pick one or two bottles that speak to you, or build your own small producer XO lineup, and let those people’s work fill your glasses. Cheers!
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