Pierre Vallet Xxo

Pierre Vallet XXO sits at the top of the cognac age scale. XXO stands for Extra Extra Old, a grade created for blends in which the youngest eau-de-vie has spent at least 14 years in oak under the appellation's rules. That is longer than the minimum for XO, and well beyond VS or VSOP. The label doesn't give a cru, ABV or cellar notes, so what follows is what expected for this grade, not a measured profile of this bottle. Expect the tight, bright fruit of a young cognac to have given way to dried apricot, candied orange peel, fig and raisin. Spice from long oak contact usually follows: cinnamon, clove, a little pepper. Many bottles at this age add walnut, leather, tobacco, cocoa and the waxy, floral note that cognac drinkers call rancio. The finish tends to be long and gently drying, and the texture is rounder and oilier than in younger grades. This is a neat-sipping cognac. Use a tulip glass or a small snifter, and pour about 30 to 40 ml so there is room for the aromas to gather. Serve at cool room temperature, roughly 18 to 20°C. Warming the glass in your palm will open it up. Don't chill it or add ice, because cold mutes the aged, nutty notes that make this grade worth buying. If it feels tight at first, a few drops of room-temperature water can loosen the aroma. Mixing is possible but rarely the best use. A Sidecar, Sazerac or Brandy Alexander relies on lemon, absinthe rinse or cream and sugar, and these would cover most of what an XXO adds. If you want a cognac cocktail, VS or VSOP does that job better and costs less. For food, dark chocolate with a high cocoa content, roasted walnuts, aged hard cheeses and dried figs match its profile well.