Le Chai Laurichesse – #1
Background
Olivier and Lea Laurichesse created their eponymous brand of cognacs in 2018. The story goes that Olivier’s father, Guy, grew grapes and distilled cognac in the seventies, leaving some of his eaux de vie in his cellar in Verrieres to age. Olivier discovered the cellar and decided to begin selling the now decades-old Grand Champagne cognacs, hence the title “Le Chai de Mon Père” (“My Father’s Cellar”).
Fûts 301 and 104 were the first to be released. Laurichesse’s products are additive free and unreduced (which doesn’t necessarily rule out petites eaux), and all the releases from this series were distilled sometime in the seventies. Fût 301 was bottled at 45%.
Tasting
On the nose, I get petrichor, fresh peach, orange hard candy (like an orange Tootsie Pop), and just a wisp of tangerine. It smells lovely.
The experience is consistent from the nose to the palate, especially with the prominence of fresh stone fruits and orange candy. I also get some sweet apple, tart grapes, caramel, and chalk. There’s a little bit of that earthy note from the nose, and some nice rancio, but both these qualities are more pronounced on fût 104 – more on that soon.
Verdict
Just delightful. It’s elegant, fruity, and exactly what it would hope for in an old Grande Champange. I find it uncomplicated and easy to enjoy, which is also to say that it isn’t wildly complex or intense. Calling a seventies cognac a “daily driver” is pretty extravagant, but if I had to pick a Laurichesse to fill that niche, this would be it. (8/10)
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