A very exciting Christmas present for someone perhaps?  This 8 litre bonbonne of Hermitage 1889 Paradis Cognac was sold last week, the asking price was £68,300.  A one-off presentation of this superb 1889 cognac is a very rare offering by Hermitage Cognacs and was snapped up at Hedonism Wines in Mayfair. It was distilled in the late nineteenth century (1889) when Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) in Paris opened with the recently completed Eiffel Tower serving as the entrance arch.  At 300m high it retained the record for the tallest man-made structure for 41 years. The cognac comes from the southeast part of… Read more

Some wonderful Hermitage Reviews this Christmas: The new edition of Club Oenologique has just been published, with a fabulous review and picture of the Hermitage 1972 Cognac by Joel Harrison. “Curator of some of the oldest single vintage and single vineyard Cognacs around, Hermitage is run from a small village in Wiltshire.  Cognac expert David Baker has built unrivalled relationships with some of the more boutique distillers in the region, allowing him to bottle extremely old and rare cognacs.  This 1972 vintage is drawn from grapes grown in the Petite Champagne region and has a sensationally aromatic nose, with balanced sweetness and… Read more

For those who would like to spend just a little bit more, here are our suggestions for 5 Christmas Gifts that can be purchased for under £200.  Enjoy the read! Hermitage Provenance 25 Grande Champagne Cognac £126.72  Cognacs from the Grande Champagne age very slowly producing flavours such as roasted nuts, rich fruits and citrus. This cognac’s wonderfully complex flavours are a result of having been kept in oak barrels, in damp cellars, for over 25 years. Dupont 20 Year Old Pays d’Age Calvados £147.24  This wonderful calvados is made from 80% bittersweet apples and 20% acidic apples and has been aged… Read more

In our second gift guide, designed to make choosing those precious Christmas gifts just a little bit easier, we have selected 5 of our favourites, all of which are priced at under £100: Montanaro Grappa Barolo Cannubi    £72.30  A unique grappa distilled from the grape marcs of Nebbiolo da Barolo from the famous Cannubi cru. One of Montanaro’s finest it has an unmistakable intensity on the nose and cleanliness and elegance in the mouth; soft, velvety, sweet and delicate flavours with notes of dried fruit and jam. Aged in Slavonian oak barrels for 4-5 years, it has a golden yellow colour typical of… Read more

We have a wealth of Christmas present ideas to suit all budgets but to make choosing a little easier, we have selected 5 of our favourites, all of which are priced at under £50: Montanaro Vermouth Extra Dry Di Torino    £33.48    Straw-yellow coloured, with light amber shadows, due to the addition of 5% of fine Marsala to the main white wine. A bitter orange taste on the palate, followed by the Gentian and lemon peel. Perfect for a Martini Cocktail, or neat, on the rocks. The low sugar content of 25 grams/litre explains why it is really ‘Extra Dry’. Mosgaard… Read more

All from the top cru, Bas Armagnac, we have another three wonderful vintage armagnacs from one of the very best producers, Castarede.   Said to be the oldest business in Armagnac, having been founded in 1832, they own the Chateau de Maniban estate and supply armagnacs grown on their 16 hectares of vineyards.  Four main armagnac grape varieties of Ugni Blanc, Baco, Folle Blanche and Colombard are grown.  All vintages, distilled in 1983, 1986 and 1987 respectively, have been aged for over 35 years.  Take a look at the delicious tasting notes below. Castarede 1983 Aroma: Guava, passion fruit and cedar. Flavour: Light… Read more

Black Friday Weekend is nearly upon us.  From Friday 25th November to Monday 28th November, inclusive, we will have some amazing bargains at up to half price.  Check in to our home page to find: ~ Vintage Cognac Armagnac Grappa Aperitivo Liqueurs Gift sets ~ Some are specialist products, some are end of line, some have damaged packaging but all taste absolutely divine!  You will not be disappointed, especially with the price.

Whether you call it applejack, calvados or bätzi, apple brandy is a spirit made from fermented and distilled apples.  There are clear, unaged versions and golden-coloured ones that have spent years in oak barrels.  These are five of the most popular: Applejack Historically, applejack was made with North American cider apples and produced using a method called “jacking” or freeze distillation. These days, however, it is typically distilled in column or pot stills and aged in barrels or bottled as a young, clear spirit.  Applejack and apple brandy are by definition the same, but there are minor differences between the apples used, terroir and the ageing process. Bätzi A clear brandy made… Read more

How many people can claim to have tasted a cognac distilled at the turn of the last century?  Well, this is your chance!  Our extra special Gift Set comprises a 20Cl bottle of 1900 cognac from the top cru and one of our exclusive Hermitage Cognacs tulip-shaped tasting glasses.  The Hermitage 1900 Grande Champagne was found in an old cellar, the owners of which ceased making cognac many years ago, so it really was a rare and exclusive find. Although presented at the higher strength of 47.5 % abv, its long ageing in oak barrels has produced an exceptionally well-balanced cognac. … Read more

We are very excited to introduce a new cognac to our shelves, and our Hermitage Paradis range, the 1875 vintage.  Only a few bottles remain of this old 1875 cognac which originally came from a cellar near Bouteville, in the cru now known as Grande Champagne.  It was distilled on a very small still and then aged for more than 75 years in a cellar built against a limestone cutting.  The cellar floor and walls were natural, with no cement or concrete, which made it ideal for ageing old cognacs. The production of cognacs in the 18th and 19th centuries was… Read more