Vintage cognacs are still somewhat of a rarity in the world of Cognac.  They are products created from a single year’s harvest, and usually from a single vineyard.  This means they are unique product – and the taste of each is determined by a combination of happenings that can never be repeated: namely, the soil, the weather throught the whole growing season, the skill of the distiller and, of course, the aging process.

Prunier Cognac excel at producing vintage year cognacs.  They’ve recently released four – each of which is only available to purchase through travel retail.  All of their vintage cognacs are guaranteed to be free from any coloring, sugar,  or wood extracts,  And they’ve not been chill filtered or reduced from their natural cask strength.  This means that when you taste them, it’s like enjoying the Cognac directly from the barrel.

So if you’re lucky enough to be travelling through duty free somewhere in the world, keep an eye out for the following offerings from Prunier.

The 1996 Fins Bois Prunier Cognac

A lovely old cognac that’s well aged and has the unique, slightly earthy, classic aromas that form thanks to the chalky soil in the Fins Bois terroir of the region.  Elegant and distinguished, the deep golden color of this Cognac is thanks to the extended aging process.

At 49.5%, this is a true cask strength Cognac.

Bottle of Prunier Fins Bois 1996 Cognac
Prunier’s delightful 1996 Fins Bois Cognac

The 1989 Grande Champagne Prunier Cognac

A wonderful example of a Cognac from the region’s premier cru.  Prunier’s Grande Champagne vineyards are located in the heart of the region=. This is truly a Cognac expression that brings well-developed Rancio and burst after burst of flavor.

It’s presented at its natural cask developed 46.9% strength.

A bottle of Prunier 1989 Grande Champagne Cognac
The flavorsome 1989 offering from Grande Champagne

The 1978 Borderies Prunier Cognac

At 52.5%, this Borderies eaux-de-vie has been aged for nearly 40 years.  The process took place in cellars with average level humidity and this has led to a wonderful development of taste and aromas.

The Borderies terroir is the smallest of all the growth regions. This 1978 example is a wonderful example of how an excellent Cognac from this sought-after terroir should taste.

The wonderful 1978 expression from the Borderies terroir

The 1967 Grande Champagne Prunier Cognac

If you check out the quality of the harvest of 1967 it’s generally accepted that this was an ‘average’ year.  However, this offering created from grapes grown in the Verrieres commune in Grande Champagne is a rare, stand out example of true success.  It just goes to show that every year’s harvest, no matter how average, produces truly different qualities of eaux-de-vie.

Bottle of Prunier Cognac
Prunier’s 1967 Grande Champagne Cognac

This wonderful example of a vintage Cognac is a staggering cask strength of 52.8%

Read more about Prunier Cognac and purchase in our online store.

Sources: cognacpruniertravelretail.com

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Jacki has been with Cognac Expert from virtually the beginning. She's the senior editor of the blog, and has spent much of her life living in rural France. Today she's based back in the UK, where she splits her working life between writing for Cognac Expert and working as a Paramedic at a large regional hospital.

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