DOMAINE DU RENCLOS

Situated along the banks of the Charente River in southwestern France, Domaine du Renclos was founded in 1811 by Pierre Navarre, a French shipping merchant. The 11 hectares Navarre Estate, which is the equivalent of only 0.04 square miles, is situated entirely within the Grande Champagne cru of Cognac, France. Today, Jacky Navarre " a fourth-generation cognac distiller and one of the last remaining purists in the industry " tends to the estate with a simple rule: "Let nature do (most of) the work." The vineyards of the Navarre Estate are generally composed of Ugni Blanc grapes (which are known for their high acidity), along with small plots dedicated to the production of Folle Blanche and Colombard grapes (which Navarre uses for experimentation purposes). Once the grapes reach their peak maturity for distillation purposes, Navarre harvests them by hand " a technique abandoned long ago by most cognac houses. After the grapes are harvested, they are fermented and distilled immediately using a 10 hectoliter (250-gallon) copper-pot charentais still.Following distillation, the cognac is aged in oak barrels for a minimum of 30 years, although the average age of the cognac is closer to 40 or 50 years. The humid environment of Domaine du Renclos " it is situated along the banks of a river " together with the mild, sunny autumns and cool breezes of the Cognac region, naturally reduce the cognac to 90 proof during its three to five decade-long beauty rest.Navarre Cognac Vieille Reserve has explosive notes of dried apricots, grapes and raisins that compliment a spicy, oaky undertone. The finish, which is long, luxurious and hedonistic, has slightly earthy notes, along with hints of cinnamon, honey and oak.Only 60 bottles of this cognac are released into the United States each year. Pick up one of these rare treasures today!