Lecat XO Memoire Cognac

11 out of 10 Stars Cognac. The 11th star blew it into the stratosphere and won it the BEST OF 2015 Flaviar Award in its respective category.

Pierre Lecat Cognac is like a bride on her wedding day… something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. The “old” are the grapevines of the Lecat family that has been growing fine Champagne grapes here for over a hundred years, supplying eau-de-vie to some of the largest Cognac Houses in the region. The “new” is the brand itself, as the Lecat family finally started bottling Cognac under their own name in 2014.

The “something borrowed” are, as they say themselves, the traditions and terroir of Cognac passed down to them, which they in turn will pass on to future generations. The “something blue” are the lovely boxes in which they ship their impressive VS “Instinct,” VSOP “Experience,” and XO “Memoire” Cognacs from Saint Fraigne, France.

XO is where it’s at! In the world of Cognacs, the XO designation means “extra old”, and in Cognac-speak, that translates into a minimum of six years ageing in the barrel (10 years since 2016). So even though the Lecat label is fairly new, you know that the spirit in the bottle has been around the block in all of the best ways.

Lecat XO Memoire Cognac is made from a combination of Ugni Blanc, Colombard, and Folle Blanche grapes and importantly, is “distilled on the pomace.” Distilling on the pomace means that once the juice is pressed, some of the grape solids are left in. This is a tricky and time-consuming process that lets the natural grape yeasts aide fermentation, building extra character, a better aroma, and more body. What this means to you, is that Lecat knows what they are doing, and that they are doing it well, very well in fact.