Coldorak's whisky blog.
We reviewed three cognacs from the sample pack that Cognac-Expert sold a few weeks ago. This sample pack included six cognacs, and with today’s trio, we will have reviewed them all. In addition to today’s three cognacs, the pack contained Guynot Elégance, Bégaud Instant Rare, and Egreteau 80–81 B23. The last three cognacs we’re reviewing today are from Maze Churchill, Landreau, and La Prenellerie, with Authentic Spirits bottling the latter.
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For the twenty-second and antepenultimate dram from our Cognac-Expert Advent Calendar, we have a 50-year-old Domaine La Prenellerie Hors d’Âge Cognac, from the Bons Bois cru. At the Domaine de la Prenellerie, winemaking has been a family tradition for generations. In 1966, Guy Billonneau took over his grandmother’s farm in Épargnes, which, at the time, combined crop farming and livestock. Seeing the potential of the land near the Estuary, he shifted entirely to viticulture. He learned the craft from his father, Robert Billonneau, who was also a winegrower. Over nearly four decades, Guy focused on producing Cognac and Pineau.
In 2003, his son, Frédéric Billonneau, who was working in import/export, decided to produce wine from a small plot of Merlot vines. Using traditional methods, including hand harvesting, his initial project grew into a larger venture. Frédéric eventually took over the family estate, expanding its production to include red, rosé, and white wines in addition to Cognac and Pineau.
In 2020, the estate received ‘Haute Valeur Environnementale’ certification, reflecting its efforts in biodiversity conservation, fertilisation management, and water use practices.
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