Asta Morris has a sister series for rum bottlings, called Rasta Morris. Recently another label was created for armagnac and cognac, called Asta Maurice. Very clever.
The first cognac in this series is one of our favourites: Vallein-Tercinier Lot 68, a 1968 vintage aged for 53 years. In cognac the practices and regulations weren’t very strict back then, so they have to include obscured hints without actually claiming strict vintages or ages.
Vallein Tercinier ’53 Carats’ Lot 68 – Petite Champagne (46,8%, Asta Maurice 2021, 120 btl.)
Nose: layered and rather delicate. It doesn’t jump out of the glass like some others, but it does show superb elegance. Orange liqueur, apricots and mirabelles. Hints of tangerines with whiffs of beeswax and leather polish. Totally in line with what we expect from the best VT expressions: fresh and utterly fruity.
Mouth: exotic fruit alarm. Guavas, passion fruits, mango, mixed with aniseed and verbena. Bergamots, minty notes. A bit of polished oak and the slightest hint of camphor. Totally refined with bright fruits in front row. Let’s face it, this is the kind of profile that got half the whisky world interested in cognac.
Finish: not the longest, but superbly fruity. Apricots and oranges with subtle herbal touches.
The kind of profile that made us fall in love with cognac, really. It’s a safe bet to make a selection at Vallein Tercinier but nonetheless well played, Maurice. Originally around € 300, I’m not quite sure whether there are still bottles available (I don’t think so).