raison personelle
It was 1994 when Sabine and Bertrand de Witasse chose to leave their jobs in Paris to become Cognac producers. The motivation for the move? Personal reasons (or Raison personnelle in French) – or perhaps a moment of temporary insanity…
Sabine and Bertrand are devoted to their work. When they first arrived in Cognac and took over the family property, they had much to learn: not only the different aspects of working the vineyard; winemaking, distillation and ageing, but also master the weather, treatments, diseases and soils. Not to mention the administrative side of the business.
Today, they successfully operate a 50 acre vineyard in the heart of the prestigious Grande Champagne premier cru of Cognac.
They are the proud owners of two Charentais copper stills, one of which dates back to 1935. They are one of the very last who continue to distill Cognac over a wood fire. This gives their Cognac its rare singularity. Master distillers know how wood fire is hard to control, and are very impressed by the talent of Bertrand who has mastered the technique.
For the first time in April 2014, they bottled only one barrel. That batch named Raison Personnelle 1.0. consisted of 486 numbered bottles. That cognac was a blend of their finest premier cru eaux-de-vie from the years 1996, 1998 and 2000.
This is their second barrel 1.1 from the years 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2000. There are only 204 bottles out of 489 of this extraordinary cognac left in existence.
PRODUCTS
raison personelle 40.8% ABV
15-19 YEAR OLD WOOD FIRE-DISTILLED GRANDE
CHAMPAGNE COGNAC
With an elegant finish, this extremely limited cognac (489 bottles made) has astonishing balance of flavor and aroma. Structured, it is rich and opens on the palate the same way the aromas open on the nose.
Extremely limited and rare – 178 bottles left
tasting notes
Color: This rare and stunning 15-19 year old cognac is medium amber in color with gilded copper reflections and wonderful brightness and clarity.
Nose: Robust, round, with floral and vanilla-soaked wood aromas, this singular cognac opens out with notes of mature flowers marked by honeysuckle and hazelnuts, accompanied by subtle notes of leather. Nicely balanced hints of raisin add to this Cognac’s complexity.
Palate: This wood fire-distilled beauty opens up with rich and noble flavors; the flavor evolution persists with notes of hazelnut, white fruit and leather followed by spice.