Dudognon Napoléon

The Domaine Dudognon has been in the family since 1852, but it was in 1970 that he stopped supplying the big houses to sell his Cognacs under his own name.

It is located in Lignières-Sonneville in the heart of Grande Champagne and holds mainly old vines of Ugni Blanc, but also Folle Blanche and Montils, ancestral grape varieties abandoned after the phylloxera crisis, which are gradually being reintroduced.

The (old-fashioned) distillation takes place over a wood fire in 2 tiny copper stills dating from 1901 (8Hl) and 1936 (12Hl).

Finally Domaine Dudognon, for the construction of its barrels, buys its own Limousin holm oaks and ensures their meticulous 3-year drying on the estate. The eaux-de-vie spend the first 6/8 months of their life in these barrels, before moving on to older barrels for ageing, with no added sugar, caramel, wood or cold filtering. The alcohol content is gradually reduced, with the help of time and the addition of "petites eaux" (a blend of old Cognac and water).

The cuvée Napoléon is made from 10% Montils and 90% Ugni Blanc, harvested, vinified and distilled separately. This is a 15-year-old Cognac, with a light gold to dark amber color, depending on the highlights. The nose is pure and of great finesse, with notes of mirabelle plums, apricot jam, pineapple and a hint of peony, before moving on to the complexity of citrus fruits, spices, caramel and hazelnut. The palate is full-bodied, supple and retains a lovely freshness, that chalky touch so particular to Grande Champagne. There's gingerbread, orange peel, licorice, Secs fruit, vanilla and a good start of rancio.

The Cognacs Dudognon are always wrapped in purity, richness and complexity, and this Napoléon is no exception. If you want to accompany it, know that it will feed on fruit ... a beautiful tart with Ente plums or mirabelle plums will verge on the perfect match ... but, much more regressive, a simple fruit salad and it's happiness.