Regional Wines w/dinner (menu)

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Peter Creasey

Peter Creasey
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. . . . Pete
 
Detroit Regional Chapter Disorderly Evan Hansen is a fan of Pierre Ferrand. Perhaps he will chime in. I can only say that every time he pours me brandy, I like it.

Is it splitting hairs to say that it would be more accurate to call this event a Southwest and Bordeaux dinner? At least there's no cassoulet sauce at this one.
 
I was more taken with the La Fleur Haut Carras so I didn't pay as much attention to the Pierre Ferrande as I should have...plus it was the end of the evening and I was a bit worn out. I came away ambivalent about the Cognac.

The La Fleur Haut Carras was really a nice selection for current and down-the-road drinking, especially at its
 
originally posted by Todd Abrams:
.
Is it splitting hairs to say that it would be more accurate to call this event a Southwest and Bordeaux dinner? At least there's no cassoulet sauce at this one.
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Cassoulet is really more Languedoc than what is usually considered the vinous Southwest. There's a nod to some classic Southwest ingredients - foie gras, hazelnuts, duck - but otherwise I'm with you. No Madiran, Cahors, Cotes de Gascogne, Bearn, Jurancon, Pacherenc, Bergerac...not that I'd turn down an invitation, mind you!
 
Piling on... very little SW-iness here. Bordeaux does not count.

A few years ago I received a bottle of Pierre Ferrand "Ambre" 1er Cru de Cognac Grande Champagne as a thank you. I was very pleased with it, though I am more a calvados or armagnac drinker. I'd be happy to own another bottle of it. I think the competition is Paul Beau but I have not tasted.
 
originally posted by Christian Miller (CMM):
Cassoulet is really more Languedoc than what is usually considered the vinous Southwest.
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Every other restaurant in Carcassone seems to specialize in cassoulet. Nothing like a rich bean stew and glass of red wine for lunch inside the walled city on a 90+ day in August. But that's how memories are made.

Carcassone actually has a restaurant named La Grande Bouffe. I'm certain they get zero customers that have watched the 1973 Marco Ferreri movie of the same name.
 
originally posted by Jeff Grossman:
A few years ago I received a bottle of Pierre Ferrand "Ambre" 1er Cru de Cognac Grande Champagne as a thank you. I was very pleased with it, though I am more a calvados or armagnac drinker. I'd be happy to own another bottle of it. I think the competition is Paul Beau but I have not tasted.
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Yes, Paul Beau is another name that pops up a lot, but I have not tasted. Right now am very excited about Dudognon and Jean Fillioux, but there is a lot of cognac out there I have not tried. And unlike wine, it takes a little while to finish the bottle!
 
originally posted by Todd Abrams:
Detroit Regional Chapter Disorderly Evan Hansen is a fan of Pierre Ferrand. Perhaps he will chime in. I can only say that every time he pours me brandy, I like it.
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Ferrand's Ambre is one of two "entry level" Cognacs they make. It's the slightly richer, rounder of the two when compared to their other, the so-called 1840 bottling. I think the Ambre is a touch lower proof as well, with 1840 at 45%. I've never heard an official explanation of the difference, but both Cognacs supposedly exceed the minimums required for a VS with a blend of some older Cognacs to achieve the complexity of something in the VSOP-to-XO range. I think most people generally compare both to VSOPs. And at the price, if you compare it to a major Cognac producer, it's substantially more nuanced, way less sweet for only a marginal increase in price.

Compared to some of the mentioned producers like Dudognon, Ferrand is quite large, and in Michigan at least, their 1840 and Ambre are viewed mostly as high-end well options (we use Ferrand 1840 as our well Cognac). If you compare it to, again, a VSOP, it's like $35 wholesale whereas Paul Beau VSOP is $60 -- and Dudognon and the other Charles Neal imports aren't even available. So it's quite a bargain and a benefit where I'm at.

A lot of purists prefer no boisé added, much like a lot of people prefer rums with no sugar added, and Ferrand Ambre definitely seems to have a bit more boisé present than, say, Paul Beau or really small outfits like Fanny Fougerat. But among the medium and large producers, in my opinion, they offer quite a bit of value for the money.

The killer value is their Reserve Cognac, which is a genuine XO that comes in at the same price as that Paul Beau VSOP. No knock against Beau VSOP, which I love and sell, and they're different styles entirely. But for a lot of people, the Reserve is, I think, a prototypically rich style of XO.

At home, I personally tend to veer more towards the really small producers, zero boise producers, etc. I too have been drinking quite a bit of Dudognon, and my favorite Cognacs are always from Borderies rather than from Petit or Grand Champagne, so I really love Fougerat and Maison Surrenne. But nonetheless, I think Ferrand has really managed to hit a price point and quality level as a medium-large producer that makes them very attractive. There's not much I can think of that touches the 1840/Ambre duo at that price.
 
originally posted by evan hansen:

A lot of purists prefer no boisé added, much like a lot of people prefer rums with no sugar added, and Ferrand Ambre definitely seems to have a bit more boisé present than, say, Paul Beau or really small outfits like Fanny Fougerat. But among the medium and large producers, in my opinion, they offer quite a bit of value for the money.....
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Thanks for the summary. That was what I had gathered from various web searches, which is why I had steered away from PF thus far. I like purity and clarity in spirits. And I don't drink enough to need a cabinet full of different bottles or the best-value options. But it's nice to hear things confirmed interactively.
 
Interesting...

There are two different ways Cognac producers are allowed to add color to Cognac. One is the form of the food additive, caramel. The second is by adding a product called, ‘Boise’. This is a syrupy type liquid made by boiling wood chips multiple times. This can then be added as a color enhancer to eau-de-vie.

But let’s reiterate that adding either of these two types of coloring to Cognac is certainly not done by all producers. And when it comes to those who don’t, it’s highly likely that they’ll advertise this as something they are proud of. When it comes to the Cognac purist, many want to enjoy their eau-de-vie in its natural, unadulterated glory.
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. . . . . Pete
 
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