We’re reviewing a pair of unfortunately sold out cognacs: a Marie Foucher and a Grosperrin, both bottled by Malternative Belgium. It has been a few weeks since we’ve last tasted cognacs with the Cognac-Expert Advent Calendar. By the way, did you try their Cognac quiz? There are three levels: Beginner, Intermediate and Expert. And wow, do the expert level is aptly named! I learnt a lot trying to reach a high score, and I cannot help but wonder where I can learn all that. Even though some of the information I learnt probably isn’t useful if you’re not a producer, like the usual concentration of ellagic acid in aged cognac, for instance (around 30 mg/L if you’re wondering)! Anyway, back to more practical and everyday things with the review of the Grosperrin Lot 71 (Cognac #35) and Marie Foucher Lot 75 (Cognac #37) from Malternative Belgium. Though is it that practical anyway when those cognacs are sold out?
Grosperrin Lot 71 La bonne cause Malternative Belgium #35 (2023) Review
We start with the Grosperrin. This Borderies Lot 71 was bottled in 2023 by Malternative Belgium, under the name ‘La bonne cause’. I strongly advise you to go read the story behind this cognac at Malternative Belgium’s website. The cask from André Bertandeau, the winegrower who made that Cognac, yielded 323 bottles filled at cask strength (52.9% ABV). Initially sold for €299 a bottle, this release is unfortunately sold out.
Colour:
Tawny.
Nose:
Neat: A polished wood note opens first: old furniture, beeswax and fine varnish, wrapped in gentle rancio. Fresh blood oranges and candied citrus peel add brightness, alongside green tea, jasmine leaves and a waft of dried flowers. Warm bakery notes appear with oven-fresh bread and plum jam, plus light tobacco, dried apricots and a hint of honeyed nuts.
With water: Reduction completely unlocks the fruitiness, and the tartness and brightness brought by the citrus fruits explode out of the glass and fill the room. In the background, some sandalwood and pipe tobacco appear as well.
Palate:
Neat: The attack is vivid and lively for its age, with juicy blood orange, passion fruit, tangerine and ripe stone fruits gliding over seasoned oak. Green tea, jasmine and a touch of herbal bitterness bring elegance, while plum jam, dried fruits and soft caramel provide sweetness. Fine tannins, polished wood spice and a thread of leather and nutty rancio tie everything together without feeling heavy.
With water: Like the nose, reduction unlocks the fruitiness on the palate as well, with tropical and citrus fruits gaining even more intensity, but also some tannins, so the pipette must be handled carefully.
Finish:
Long, precise and almost electric, with citrus zest, tea-like dryness and jasmine drifting over waxy oak. Fades on polished wood, light tobacco and a final echo of blood orange and plum.
Comments:
What a stunning Borderies cognac! I usually find Borderies to be quite woody and rustic, but this Grosperrin Lot 71, on top of being for a good cause, is absolutely stunning. The apricots, tropical and citrus fruits bring a stunning tartness that is perfectly intertwined with the wood and bitterness. This might be the best Borderies I’ve ever tried.
Rating: 9/10
Marie Foucher Cognac
Marie Foucher is a small, family‑run cognac house rooted in the Fins Bois cru, whose story only really began to circulate outside the region in the mid‑2020s, even though the vines and stills have been working for decades. The foundation lies in the 1960s, when Marie Foucher’s father planted the family’s vineyards around Foussignac, in the north‑eastern part of the Fins Bois appellation, between Foussignac and Triac‑Roissac, close to the border with Grande Champagne. That location gives the eaux‑de‑vie a distinctive aromatic profile – often richer and more floral than many classic Fins Bois expressions – while still staying within the appellation’s broader character.
Marie took over the estate in 1980, inheriting both the vineyards and the distillation operation, and for years the family sold its eaux‑de‑vie almost entirely to négociants and larger houses, most notably Courvoisier. Very little ever bore the Marie Foucher name on a bottle; instead, the spirit quietly disappeared into blends and bulk contracts, known mainly to local traders and a handful of connoisseurs who tracked down old vintages in cellars. The domain remained small – around 29 hectares of Ugni Blanc planted in the 1960s – and the focus stayed on producing clean, expressive distillate rather than building a commercial brand.
The house’s modern chapter began when Belgian‑based independent bottler Malternative discovered the cellars and struck an exclusive partnership with Marie Foucher. Their first release, ‘La Découverte’ Lot 77 (a 1977‑distilled Fins Bois cognac), arrived in 2024 and was framed explicitly as the ‘first bottling’ of Marie Foucher ever presented to the wider spirits world. Subsequent releases, including the 1975‑distilled Fins Bois below, have followed the same pattern: single‑cask or small‑batch bottlings that showcase the terroir and age of the eaux‑de‑vie rather than chasing standardised blends.
What makes Marie Foucher notable today is not a long lineage of famous labels but the fact that a quiet, generational grower‑distiller has suddenly become visible after decades of anonymity. The history is essentially one of continuity – father planting in the 1960s, daughter taking over in 1980, and the same vineyards quietly feeding the Cognac trade – now overlaid with a new narrative of rediscovery through independent bottlers. For enthusiasts, that combination of old‑school Fins Bois terroir, long‑held stocks, and a name that is only now emerging from the shadows is exactly what makes this kind of house so compelling.
Marie Foucher Lot 75 L’Esprit Nomade Malternative Belgium #37 (2024) Review
This Marie Foucher Cognac was distilled in Foussignac in 1975, before Malternative Belgium bottled it in 2024. This single cask gave an outturn of 324 bottles filled at 50.18% ABV (cask strength). This cognac is also, unfortunately, sold out.
Colour:
Tawny.
Nose:
Neat: The nose starts with brioche, then some yellow-fleshed fruits: apricots, mirabelle plums, dates and stewed pears. Tangerine, quince jelly, sultanas and honeysuckle add aromatic lift, plus floral honeysuckle and subtle mead. Warm walnuts, marzipan, dark chocolate and candied citrus peels bring depth.
With water: We‘‘’’’re now in a forest, with aromas of undergrowth after the rain, and oranges and plums in a wicker basket.
Palate:
Neat: Gourmand and layered, opening on fresh apricots, mango, mandarin and stewed pear, with rose petals and orange peels. Grand Marnier-like liqueur notes, beeswax, leather and mild pipe tobacco integrate seamlessly. A touch of oak, as well as blackcurrant, mint, tea and milk chocolate.
With water: Liquorice, some tropical fruits, with some more flowers and herbal flavours. Like with the Grosperrin, reduction must be done carefully, as it unlocks tannins.
Finish:
Medium long and refined, returning to layered fruits, spices, leather and oak with gentle bitterness. Lingering floral and citrus echoes provide poise.
Comments:
It’s my first time tasting a cognac from Marie Foucher, and after tasting this cognac and researching the domain’s history for this review, I definitely want to try more of her cognac. This Lot 75 is another stunning selection by Pieter Knapen.