Here are some overdue samples of cognac releases from Wu Dram Clan. They really keep a high tempo in coming up with new malternatives and today we’re looking at three different houses and vintages: Jean-Luc Pasquet 1962, Vallein Tercinier 1970 and Prunier 1967.
Cognac Jean-Luc Pasquet Lot 62 ‘Petite Champagne’ (40,4%, OB for Wu Dram Clan 2020, 120 btl.)
Nose: a nice whiff of varnish / acetone up front, leading the way to red plums, vineyard peaches, papayas and cherries, as well as soft menthol, cinnamon and rose petals. Pink grapefruit and orange peels.
Mouth: sour fruits, with lychee and rosewater – really fragrant. Juicy nectarines, tart cherries and bergamot notes. Muscat grapes. Mint and jasmine as well. Quite thin with a drying, leathery edge (just like its sister casks). Slight nutmeg. Orange peels too.
Finish: medium, slightly floral, with hints of cedar wood and fruit tea.
This Pasquet 62 displays some lovely rose aromas, lychees, cherries and other aromatic fruits. Really great, it has a nice ethereal quality and some unique touches in my opinion.
Cognac Vallein Tercinier Lot n° 70 ‘Grande Champagne’ (53,7%, OB for Wu Dram Clan 2021, 114 btl.)
Nose: slightly robust for Vallein Tercinier, with more herbs and cedar wood on top of the usual apricots. Cinnamon, leather, a wee hint of mushrooms. Liquorice and tea.
Mouth: yes, different from the usual tropical fruit bombs – different vintage character. Quite dry and leafy, mixing with menthol and slightly tannic tea. Light tangerine and honey. It’s just that the oak kinda makes it heavyweight and too dry.
Finish: quite long, mostly on oak spice now, against the background of caramelized nuts.
We have high expectations for this name, and this particular expression is not as good as some others. I prefer the 1967 for Wu Dram Clan and keep waiting for their fruit juice selection from this house.
Score: 88/100
Cognac Prunier 1967 ‘Grande Champagne’ (52,8%, OB for Wu Dram Clan 2021, 276 btl.)
Nose: closer to the Pasquet again, with more pink grapefruits, red berries and hints of varnish. Elegance and power combined. Some potpourri and old roses, as well as some dried Mediterranean herbs.
Mouth: a great minty fruitiness, with mango and lychee, a few drops of herbal bitters, then back to pink grapefruit and potpourri. A very firm leafy layer and some oak underneath but the fruits keep it bright and balanced. Fruit tea and oranges. Darker than the Pasquet accross the board.
Finish: long, oakier now, with floral spice, darker fruit and this herbal bitterness again.
This Prunier keeps hesitating between light, floral touches, fruits and a more robust, woody side. Best of both worlds perhaps, but in the end I prefer the finesse of the Pasquet. A lovely trio though.
Score: 90/100