Normandin Mercier Très Vieille Grande Champagne ★

Spirit Name: Spirit Type:	Normandin Mercier Très Vieille Grande Champagne 的诺曼丁Mercier TRES维埃耶大香槟 Brandy 科涅克白兰地
Score:	98/100
Age: ABV:	100+ years 40%
Region: Cru:	Cognac, France  Grande Champagne
Body:	Light and delicate
Intensity:	Soft and graceful
Texture:	Velvety
Balance:	Nearest to perfect
Best served:	Neat
Theme(s):	Nearest to perfect balance, softness, elegance, finesse, brightness, energy, darkness, calmness, unity, harmony - so it is with spirits of this quality, the character is bigger than simple flavour descriptors; this is a century in a glass.   最近完美的平衡，柔软，优雅，细腻，亮度，节能，黑暗，冷静，团结，和谐 - 因此，它是与精神，这种品质，性格是大于简单的风味描述，这是一个世纪以来在玻璃。
Summary:	A moment in paradise, the aromas and flavours of this cognac are so beautifully integrated that 100+ years of maturation glow brightly as one seamless whole - the fruit, wood, spice and magic dance with unmatched elegance and finesse. This is it, the pinnacle of the cognac and possibly even the spirits world ... without a shadow of doubt.  一会儿在天堂，这款干邑的香气和味道是如此美妙集成100多年成熟焕发明亮一个无缝的整体 - 水果，木材，香料和幻舞与无与伦比的优雅与细腻。这是什么，干邑的巅峰之作，甚至可能是精神的世界......没有怀疑的阴影。
Tasting notes:	Normandin Mercier proudly proclaims that this blend of eaux-de-vie have been resting for "more than a century ... ageing in our cellars". This is a 100+ year old cognac. Tasting a spirit that is older than your great grandparents and some countries is an extremely special experience - to think, this cognac was distilled from a century old harvest of grapes that grew from the terrain of Grande Champagne before World War 1 started in 1914.  In all honesty, blind tasting this cognac is magical but tasting it while knowing its age causes butterflies to churn in the stomach. This really is one of the finest spirits.  Some of nature's most beautiful creations Nose: The character in this century old cognac is beautifully integrated - the aromas harmoniously interact as one seamless and flawless whole. The most careful nosing is unable to detect even the slightest kink in what is the smoothest and perfectly balanced spirit tasted to date on Malt Mileage; this is sheer luxury.  The bouquet on this cognac slowly unfurls into various aromas that never clash, but interlace and compliment one another impeccably. Bright, fresh and sweet aromas beam through a thick darker layer of character. This cognac has benefits from its extremely long maturation in terms of extracting flavours and aroma from the oak, and yet it has maintained energy - amazing.  The aroma is sweet and fruity - dark stone fruit develop with fresh cherries, nectarine and cantaloupe lying over a floral garden as sparks of tropical fruit (ripe banana, fresh coconut and lychee) and orange peel ignite within the dark fog of leather, mocha and coffee. Within the dark fog also shines roasted almond and crushed walnuts with whipped cream and strands of caramel, shimmers of tart green pear and sweet dried tobacco. That sweetness which illuminates the darker notes is delightful, and it gains in complexity by developing into sugary coffee liqueur and mild notes of saffron. Bright shining vanilla is a constant, glowing brightly as the gentle smell of herb bread with butter develops - this is such a curious wonder, how can all these aromas combine together in one near perfect whole and yet retain their distinctiveness? This is a century in a glass, a life form almost, with character evolving and growing.  Taste: A wave of fresh fig and muscat grapes flood the palate and develop into dried fruit, spiced coffee (common examples are Arabic coffee, that is often flavoured with cardamon) with rancio and golden caramel - this is the closest to perfect cognac can get, because the character is so difficult to unpack and describe. Instead the character flows seamlessly on the palate and the different flavours meld together to create a distinctive flavour profile that is unique and magical - a fine cognac.  Finish: To identify a flavour will invariably do this cognac an injustice, because very few things have such near perfect balance. The flavours on the palate proceed to the end, but buzz energetically in a similar way to fruit flavoured popping rock candy - the sweet fruit and floral notes, wood notes and "x-factor" combine to create a little moment in paradise. As with anything so good, it was not long enough...  This is perfection, the epitome of fine cognac - the balance is sublime, the flavours gentle yet powerful, the character bright yet dark with harmonious integration.
Likes:	Complexity, smoothness, seamless character
Price:	$1,300