Jean Fillioux

Situated along the banks of the Charente River, the Cognac region of France is divided into six different crus: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bon Bois and Bois Ordinaire. The Grande Champagne cru, which comprises approximately 34,000 hectares, is known for its quiet hills and rich, chalky soil, and is considered to produce the finest cognac in the region.In 1880, Honor Fillioux purchased a tiny, 20-hectare estate in the Grande Champagne region. Upon his death in 1902, Honor Fillioux passed the estate on to his son, Jean, who eventually passed it along to his son. Today, Pascal Fillioux, the great grandson of Honor Fillioux, continues to pay homage to his pioneering ancestors by managing every aspect of cognac production at Maison Fillioux.Situated in the Golden Triangle of the Grande Champagne region (the Golden Triangle is a highly acclaimed micro-terrior of the Grande Champagne region), Maison Fillioux enjoys a rolling Campanian landscape along with rich, cretaceous soils. As a result of its unique terrior and four generations of family experience, the house is known to produce some of the finest cognac in the world.Jean Fillioux Tres Vieux Tres Vieille Grande Champagne Cognac is made exclusively from Ugni Blanc grapes harvested on the Fillioux estate (the estate only grows this single varietal grape). Once the grapes are harvested in late September or early October, they are immediately pressed into a grape must. The must enjoys a high acidity and is lacking in tannins, making it ideal for fermentation and distillation. After Fillioux has fermented the must into a wine, he distills the wine twice through a traditional, antique charentais-pot still.Following distillation, the cognac is aged for a minimum of 25 years in a combination of new and used oak casks. The secret to producing exquisite cognac, Fillioux says, is the having the requisite patience to watch and taste the cognac as it matures. During the maturation process, Pascal tastes each barrel, noting its aroma and flavor profile. As the cognac continues to age, he transfers it as necessary to different barrels and stores the barrels in different areas of his vault in order to ensure that after a quarter-century, the cognac is blessed with a consistent, rounded flavor profile.Jean Fillioux Tres Vieux has an aroma of vanilla and orange marmalade, which leads to strong notes of jam, quince, pear and creamy vanilla. The finish, which is textured and everlasting, ends with a touch of oak and spices. Jean Fillioux Tres Vieux was the highest-rated cognac in the June 2013 issue of the Spirit Journal, which called it "incredibly lush and velvety."Pick up a bottle today!