Coldorak's whisky blog.
We mark the halfway point of the Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar with a pour from one of Charente’s most enduring dynasties: the Frapin XO VIP Cognac. Hailing from a family whose winegrowing roots stretch back centuries, this Grande Champagne expression carries the weight of serious history. Now, let’s see if the liquid in the glass lives up to the VIP title.
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The eleventh pouch revealed a J. Dupont XO Art Déco Cognac, as we’re nearing the end of the first half of our Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar already. Once again, we try a Cognac from a long-standing Cognac house, and we add a new name to this humble blog. Let’s talk about their history, before reviewing the J. Dupont XO Art Déco cognac.
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We launch the second week of the Cognac-Expert 2025 Advent Calendar with an exciting debut: with the Bertrand XO Carafe Cognac, a nearly 300-year-old house making its first appearance on More Drams. Presented in a superb and elegant decanter – a vessel I rarely champion over classic bottles, yet this one commands genuine admiration – the question remains whether the cognac within matches the refinement of its presentation.
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Day 6 of the Cognac-Expert advent calendar shifts the spotlight back to Guynot, with the XO Exception N°37, a limited-edition Fins Bois cognac. After spending time with their Guynot XO Elegance a few months ago – a 45-year-old Fins Bois that aligned beautifully with our preferences – today’s dram lets us explore a younger take on the same house style. As an XO, it brings together eaux-de-vie with at least a decade of age, even hinting at a way greater age, setting the stage for a more energetic interpretation of Guynot’s Fins Bois character.
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For the twenty-second and antepenultimate dram from our Cognac-Expert Advent Calendar, we have a 50-year-old Domaine La Prenellerie Hors d’Âge Cognac, from the Bons Bois cru. At the Domaine de la Prenellerie, winemaking has been a family tradition for generations. In 1966, Guy Billonneau took over his grandmother’s farm in Épargnes, which, at the time, combined crop farming and livestock. Seeing the potential of the land near the Estuary, he shifted entirely to viticulture. He learned the craft from his father, Robert Billonneau, who was also a winegrower. Over nearly four decades, Guy focused on producing Cognac and Pineau.
In 2003, his son, Frédéric Billonneau, who was working in import/export, decided to produce wine from a small plot of Merlot vines. Using traditional methods, including hand harvesting, his initial project grew into a larger venture. Frédéric eventually took over the family estate, expanding its production to include red, rosé, and white wines in addition to Cognac and Pineau.
In 2020, the estate received ‘Haute Valeur Environnementale’ certification, reflecting its efforts in biodiversity conservation, fertilisation management, and water use practices.
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