Dudognon Heritage Grande Champagne Cognac

A fascinating 40-year-old spirit – Speyside by way of the tropics. Expressive aromas and flavors of both fleshy exotic fruit and salty sea air reminiscent of Scotch, plus a healthy dose of rancio. On the palate, it’s expansive and amiable, but followed by a long, serious, very dry finish full of astringent grilled walnut. Unique, but possibly a little confounding.  93 PointsVinous, September 2019

Lovely rancio on the nose with a mashed almond nuance. Viscous and honeyed, with additional notes of creme brulée. Concentrated sweetness with a hint of toasted coconut on the extremely long finish. Awesome! Charles Neal Importer

The Dudognon family have grown grapes in the small village of Lignières-Sonneville since 1776. This village is about 11 miles southeast of the town Cognac in the heart of the famed Grande Champagne zone. After the Second World War, Raymond Dudognon raised the domaine's reputation to new levels with his close attention to detail and minimal intervention of his spirits. Born on January 26, 1927, in Lignières-Sonneville, Raymond came from a long line of Cognac distillers dating back to his great grandfather, Paulin.

At the time, most small Cognac producers practiced polyculture. Amidst sunflowers and corn, Raymond had just over 5 hectares (13 acres) of vines.

Raymond married his wife Pierrette in 1948. Over the next decade they had three daughters.

During this time, Raymond also tore up some of his workhorse crops and replanted the land with vines, arriving at just under 35 hectares (86 acres).

In 1990, Raymond entered his Reserve des Ancetres (made from his first two vintages, the 1946 and 1947, that had been blended together decades before) in The International Spirits Tasting Show. Raymond took home the Medaille d'Or or Gold Medal, echoing a gold his great grandfather Paulin had won at the competition in 1898. Because of this, he decided to attach the award to each bottle and it has since become known as the Medaille d'Or. Charles Neal, Importer