Vallein Tercinier
Cognac Napoléon Vieille Réserve
Region: Cognac
Vallein Tercinier
For the family that has produced Cognacs in Chermignac for five generations, there is one guiding principle: follow the family tradition of care and obsession with flavor that goes into each bottle, not the fashion of the moment. That focus on creating the most pleasurable experience in the glass, following the same recipes that have been handed down through the generations, drives all the distilling, blending and aging decisions for Vallein Tercinier at Domaine des Forges.
The Wine
Vineyard Profile
Grande Champagne
- Specialized Campanian chalk soils (from which Champagne is named) that contain a high concentration of the fossil Ostrea vesicularis, a bivalve that belies the area’s origins as a warm seabed.
- Vine roots can reach more than 20 meters through the chalk. Subsoil acts as a giant sponge where water slowly rises during dry periods.
- Eau-de-vie of Grande Champagne display subtlety, a long finish, suppleness and power, with lime blossom, grapevine flower and dry wood fragrance.
Petite Champagne
- The soils of Petite Champagne are thin, clayey, chalky soils on top of soft chalk from the Cretaceous period, with a high limestone content.
- Montmorillonite clay provides structure and water retention for the fertile soils.
- Eau-de-vie from Petite Champagne are elegant and supple, age slowly, and exhibit grapevine flower and fruity aromas.
Winemaker's Notes
In the nose, it rocks from the tonus of young eau-de-vie and the roundness of the long aging ones with vanilla and lime blossom hints. In the mouth, it is light with jam and marmalade hints, not spicy or tannic. Slowly reduced, light filtration at ambient temperature. Use of the wet cellar adds to the complexity and unctuousness.
Technical Information
- 100% Ugni blanc grapes from Grande Champagne & Petite Champagne
- Aged exclusively in Limousin and Tronconnais French oak barrels
- Youngest eau-de-vie is aged 15 years
- Alcohol: 40%
Miscellaneous
- Silver Medal – 2013 Vinalies Internationales Competition Paris
Reviews
Gold Medal Points
Gold Medal – 2022 SF World Spirits Competition
https://thetastingalliance.com/sfwsc-2022-results/
Wine News, April, 2022
General Info
| Country | France |
| Region | Cognac |
| Appellation(s) | Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois |
| Proprietors | Catherine Tercinier, Louis Tercinier, Stephane Roudier |
| Founded | 1850 |
| Winemaker/Cellar Master | Foucauld De Menditte |
| Annual Production | 3,750 9L cases |
