On the nose, it reveals its very rich aromas made up of fresh fruit (peach, plum and fig) and dried fruit (almond, prune and quince paste). It also has floral notes. On the palate, fresh fruit dominates, with a very pleasant freshness which is close to citrus fruits, to balance the sweetness. The finish has a hint of honey and vanilla. A gorgeous aperitif, but can go well with duck, foie gras or with dessert.
Pineau des Charentes is a sweet, reasonly strong "Vin de Liqueur" of the Charentais (Cognac) region of western France. It is made by adding Cognac eau-de-vie from the previous year's distillation (or older) to fresh grape must of the current vintage. By law, the must is required to be freshly harvested and, while it may have undergone a partial fermentation, its sugar content at the moment of "mutage" (when the spirit is added) must be above 170g per liter. The Cognac itself must have an alcohol content of at least 60 percent and must have been held in barrel before use.
Distillation occurs in one of the wings of the Chateau, in century old “Charentais” copper stills (alambic). Double distillation in small, 12hl stills, over a 24hr period results in the best aromas. Mutage and ageing: The grape must and the Eau de Vie (cognac) from lzac. It is produced exclusively from grape must from the ugni-blanc grape varieties, combined with a Cognac from the property, previously aged for 2 years in century-old oak barrels.
