Jean Fillioux Cognac Grande Champagne

About

Each year in October, 5th generation owner Christophe Fillioux harvests the Ugni Blanc grapes from his 63 acre vineyard, makes the wine and distills it in his classic alembic stills. After carefully selecting barrels from the cooperage, the young distillate is put to rest for 2 years, absorbing maximum tannins and color.

Then comes the “secret.” Day after day, month after month, year after year, Christophe Fillioux, and his father Pascal, can be found in their cellars sniffing, breathing, tasting, making notes, re-tasting, blending, moving barrels, and listening to his cognacs growing older and older. It’s like a ballet in wood and darkness where only he can hear the music. The results are just sublime, undeniable proof that Pascal Fillioux well deserves his reputation as “Magician of Aromas” that the region has given him.

History

Perched on top of a hill, the beautiful estate of La Pouyade, has been in the Fillioux family since 1894. Its imposing residence overlooks their magnificent vineyard, located in the heart of Grande Champagne, 1er Cru du Cognac (1909).

The 25 hectare vineyard of the Domaine de la Pouyade is located in Juillac-le-Coq, in the heart of the best of Grande Champagne also called “the golden triangle” (Angeac-Champagne, Verrières and Juillac le Coq). The establishment of the vines on this limestone fault and the exposure of the vineyard on the very sunny produce a wine ideal for distillation.

Watercolor representing the domain of La Pouyade in the 90’s painted by Dominique Poirot

Le Coq

Tasting Highlights

A young, light and pleasantly fresh Grande Champagne with floral notes and vine blossoms, perfect for cocktails.

Reviews

4 stars. Highly recommended.
“The initial whiffs encounter lovely, melded scents of spiced pear, cardamom, and ripe white grapes; after allowing this cognac to sit undisturbed for seven more minutes, the second round of inhalations produces juicy, luscious, and fruity aromas that are in harmony; Grande Champagne cognac at its fruity, seductive aromatic best. Entry is intensely grapy, semisweet, ripe, and supple; midpalate reinforces the entry juiciness and youthful vigor. Finishes long, silky, tarter than I expected, and delicious.  (Paul Pacult, The New Kindred Spirits, 2021)

Gold medal (Concours Mondial de Bruxelles, 2018)


VSOP Subtil & So

Tasting Highlights

Aged 4-6 years in oak. “Our VSOP offers a fruity and fine floral nose. The taste reminds me of the fresh figs in our garden, citrus fruits melted with the roundness of muscat, almond paste and orange blossom. The finish is both gourmet and warm as it seems subtly spicy...” - Christophe Fillioux

As an aperitive, it pairs well with cheddar and Bayonne ham or any other dried meat. For dessert? A “tarte tatin” apple pie might do! It also works well on ice or mixed in premium cocktails.

Reviews

Gold Medal (NY International Spirits Competition 2023) 

94 points 
"Look for a burnished orange hue, with mellow vanilla and almond aromas. The soft palate fleetingly echoes those vanilla and almond notes, leading into a nuanced finish tinged with tropical fruit and dried apricot, plus a white floral hint." (Wine Enthusiast 2023)

92 points. Excellent/Highly Recommended
"Abundant on the nose, this spirit reveals enticing notes of green tea, cigar ash, linden, and warm baking spices. The palate embodies elegance and complexity, with subtle flavors of tobacco, dried plum, and raisins. The finish is long and pleasant, leaving a satisfying impression." (Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2023)

Gold Medal (The Cognac Masters 2022)

Gold Medal (Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2021) 


La Pouyade

Tasting Highlights

8 years old.

Perfectly balanced for a rather young Grande Champagne, an interesting personality with floral notes of spring flowers, fruit aromas, apricot and grape, with notes of almond. Perfect with smoked salmon, blue cheese, pates and prosciutto, it is also the whisky lovers' favorite.

Reviews

Master Medal (The Cognac Masters 2021)

4 stars. Highly recommended.
“Like the elegant COQ, the opening sniffs detect significant vine and orchard fruits, especially white grapes, quince, and kiwi; secondary inhalations after another seven minutes of air contact find delicate traces of oak, sawdust, and pine plank that nicely underscore the fruit presence. Entry is semisweet but simultaneously tart and clean, as the acid level is clearly high; midpalate features grape preserves, toffee, nougat, and wood resins. Aftertaste shines for its baked fruit aspect, which provides an alluring accompaniment to the evident oak presence. (Paul Pacult, The New Kindred Spirits 2021) 

96 points / Best of 2017 / Best Buy
"The mild aroma hints at vanilla and stone fruit. The palate is balanced and lovely, starting with gentle vanilla and caramel enlivened by fresh pear and stone fruit, and finishing on a mellow baking spice note." (Wine Enthusiast, 2017

"Highly Recommended" (Cognac Magazine) 


Cep d’Or “XO Selection”

Tasting Highlights

12 years old.

Vivacious aromas of lilac and jasmine give way to some notes of ripe fruit, dried fruit and walnut. This delicious Grande Champagne has a spicy finish that will be perfect for Provencal, Italian or even Mexican cooking.

Reviews

95 points, Gold (Bartender Spirits Awards, 2022)

Gold medal (Brandy Consumer Choice Awards 2021)

5 stars. Highest Recommendation 
“Twelve years old minimum. Seriously attractive bronze/bright old gold color. First whiffs encounter ripe, substantial aromas of beeswax, parchment, faint baked banana, and minerals; secondary nosings after further aeration come out slightly toasted, grapy-ripe, earthy/stony, and clean as a whistle. Entry is delightfully sweet and grapy in a jammy, compote way, and texture is like fine silk—man, this is savory; midpalate is medium long, subtle, integrated, and sound. Ends on perhaps its best moment of the evaluation as the supple viscosity, deep richness of the oak, and the crispness of the fruit converge in a glorious moment of triumph.” (Paul Pacult, The New Kindred Spirits, 2021)

94 points / Best of 2017
"Instead of dessert, sip on this tawny Cognac. Dusty cocoa and pecan pie richness vie for the palate alongside vanilla and cream caramel, with hints of apple and a zing of ginger and nutmeg. All together, the effect is not overly sweet but still distinctly, enticingly dessert-like." (Wine Enthusiast, 2017

96 points. "Highly Recommended, Superb.
"Rich and luxurious, this 12-year-old “Tres Vielle” Cognac offers deep toffee and hazelnut flavors, before tapering off to a cocoa and espresso-inflected finish. It's a well-structured brandy that puts you in mind of a leather club chair—you just want to close your eyes and sink into it." (Wine Enthusiast, 2013


Très Vieux “XO Extra”

Cognac Grande Champagne Très Vieux "XO Extra"

Tasting Highlights

Over 25 years old.

The House’s flagship, a very powerful, elegant and noble cognac with some notes of jammy fruit, orange marmalade, quince, pear and loads of vanilla. A sipping Cognac for the Connoisseurs.

Reviews

Master Medal (The Spirits Business, Global Cognac Masters 2023)

5 stars "Highest Recommendation" 
“I get lots of streamlined scents of nougat, banana in brown sugar syrup, some maple, and clove in the initial inhalations after the pour; secondary sniffs detect butter, Christmas cake spices (clove, cinnamon), and dried yellow fruit, including pear, pineapple, and kiwi. Entry is deep, acidic, resiny, and even a tad chewy; midpalate is tobacco-like, cheese-like, eggy, bacon-like, and toasty. Finishes satiny in texture, cigar tobacco-like, resiny/oaky, meaty, clean, and oh, so sensuous. (Paul Pacult, The New Kindred Spirits 2021) 

Chairman's Trophy, 98 points, Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation 
"Classic and stately nose of crisp Anjou pear, banana liqueur, coffee, mint, and orange marmalade. The palate skews slightly tropical with notes of mango and lychee alongside warm, spicy oak and caramel. Soft and smooth on the finish with suggestions of nuts and honey." (Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2020

Double Gold Medal (San Francisco Spirits Competition, 2016) 

"Highest Recommendation" (Wine Enthusiast) 

"93 Points. Excellent / Highly Recommended" (Ultimate Spirits Challenge

"Top 10 Cognacs" (Wine Enthusiast, 2007)


XO Grande Réserve

Tasting Highlights

Over 30 years old.

A scrumptious cognac offering deep aromas of vanilla, honey, cinnamon and exotic fruits, ending with rich and spicy hot chocolate flavors.

Reviews

5 stars "Highest Recommendation” 
“Smells magically of cocoa, nougat, buttered almonds, and red fruit compote in the incredible openings whiffs after the pour; secondary sniffs discover fragrances of prune, black raisins, honey and vanilla wafer. Entry is succulent, semisweet, honeyed and almost sherry-like; midpalate caresses the palate in a satiny robe of texture and tastes of raisins, figs, dates, and prune Danish. Concludes with a swift rush of acidity and the resiny oak kiss-off that’s a flavor to behold. Wow." (Paul Pacult, The New Kindred Spirits 2021)

97 points, Chairman's Trophy! Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation 
"Poised and elegant bouquet of dried apricot, orange blossom, wildflower honey, baked pecans, and warm brioche. Full-bodied with notes of mocha, tinned peach, vanilla, and hints of rancio, it is long, sumptuous, and delicious. A classic spirit indeed." (Ultimate Spirits Challenge 2018

"97 points, Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation" (Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2013)


Réserve Familiale

Tasting Highlights

50 years old.

This exceptional cognac is in itself a journey in the infinite world of aromas and flavors; everything is there incessantly tickling your taste buds: dried, candied fruit, rich rancio, leather, cigar box, toasted cocoa bean, vanilla and toffee. The finish is silky, with notes of honeyed and peppery spices.

Reviews

Gold medal (Concours General Agricole Paris, 2022)

#1 Cognac. 25 Favorite Brandies of All Time" (Paul Pacult, Spirit Journal) 

5 stars "Highest Recommendation”
“Fifty years old minimum. Gorgeous old-copper/bronze color; impeccable purity. Starts out aromatically quite subtle and understated in the first sniffs after the pour, then after another seven minutes of air contact, the bouquet detonates, offering deep, profound fragrances of green melon, cantaloupe, sherry, old oak resin, mushrooms, forest floor, and moss; a giant does of rancio is the key. Entry is tart, densely fruity, startlingly fresh for its age, and acutely resiny; midpalate is multilayered, cheese-like, woodsy, herbal, honeyed, and rich. Crazy delicious.” (Paul Pacult, The New Kindred Spirits 2021)  

"Highly Recommended" (Wine Enthusiast) 

"An elegant cognac with a beautiful freshness. A Cognac to savour over a long time, sip by sip, eyes closed. Pure pleasure!" (Sommeliers International) 


Cigar Club

Tasting Highlights

40% - A very beautiful Grande Champagne Cognac with a great personality; powerful. A velvety nose with notes of vanilla and honey. Very complex and unctuous palate with jammy aromas, prune, and orange, then notes of cinnamon and dark chocolate. Very long finish with notes of licorice and spices coming through, toasted coffee. A perfect cognac to go with your favorite Havana cigar and some pieces of dark chocolate, at 70 - 80% cocoa. 

Reviews

4 stars, Highly Recommended
"Beautiful mahogany / sinopia color; unblemished purity. This opening aroma is muted and reluctant so I back off for ten minutes; following more aeration, the aroma comes alive in the exotic forms of baked banana, roasted meat, BBQ sauce, fish oil, cocoa bean, and soy sauce. Entry bursts with soy sauce, Asian cooking spice-like flavors that are elemental, bitter, vegetal, and spicy; midpalate takes an unexpected left turn as it highlights desert dry flavors of black tea / orange pekoe, bean curd, and green vegetable that mingle with the dried apricot and raisiny fruits; there is a massive taste explosion here. Finishes long, bittersweet, caramelized onion-like, toasted marshmallow-like, and utterly luscious. A wonderfully weird, deeply flavorful cognac that takes a couple of bizarre turns that produce delightful results." (Paul Pacult, The New Kindred Spirits 2021) 

93 points. Excellent / Highly Recommended
"Reminiscent of rich oiled leather, pipe tobacco, campfire, and sultry stewed stone fruits, this is a Cognac meant to be savored. Big and bold flavors of smoke, raisin, burnt orange peel, and savory, earthy brown spice add depth. Very complex." (Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2017) 

97 points. (Cigar & Spirits Magazine, 2014) 

"Pure, very delicate, elegant, and fine, ample and round. A tasting Cognac, subtle and refined....One of the sommeliers' favourites." (Sommeliers International)


So Elegantissime XO

Tasting Highlights

41% - Very floral nose, spring flowers, hawthorn, wild rose, acacia, with some notes of white peach and nectarine. A touch of violet bonbon. Deliciously lively on the palate with some aromas of passion fruit, lemon tart, and dried apricot. Long finish with some notes of sweet spices coming through, coriander, and cardamom. In one word...Elegantissime!

Reviews

5 stars. "Highest Recommendation" 
“I encounter the integrated scents of beeswax, forest floor, cocoa bean, and sawdust in the initial nosings after the pour—lovely and composed bouquet from the start; multilayered aromas of toasted walnut, nougat/candy bar, and hard cheese (Parmesan/umami) are featured in the second round of nosings. Entry is spicier than the aroma, highlighting nutmeg and allspice, with a background trace of thyme; midpalate is sinewy in texture, grapy, raisiny, and date-like. Finishes in the fruit/raisiny vein started in the midpalate and expands from there, finally exploding with dried red fruit in the throat. Just keeps building to the aftertaste crescendo." (Paul Pacult, The New Kindred Spirits 2021) 

96 points. Number One (Falstaff Bar & Spirits Guide 2014 (Austria))

“Very beautiful Cognac, with a lot of finesse” (Sommeliers International) 


Single Cask 212

Tasting Highlights

Cask strength 47.5%
Single cask #212.
No added sugar.

A single origin, single cru, non chill-filtered Cognac that was aged in new oak for a couple of years and then the rest of its life in "fut roux" (used barrel).

The nose displays notes of candied fruit, orange marmalade, and vanilla, with a little honeysuckle flower at the end.

Entry palate is sweet from the natural sweetness of the wood fibers. A lively pear juice flavor gives way to more candied orange fruit and finishes with a touch of spice and rancio.

Reviews

Chairman's Trophy, 97 points, Top 100 Spirits 2021
“A wonderfully complex nose bends flavors of stained sandalwood, toasted almond, orange pastry, and white chocolate. The palate is equally exemplary and provides a strong impact before a long and undulating finish.” (Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2021)


Single Cask 96-1

Tasting Highlights

Single cask #96-1
No added sugar.
Distilled in 1996. Bottled in 2022. 

Only 504 bottles available. Aged 26 years in oak cask. 43.3% ABV

A single origin, single cru, non chill-filtered Cognac from the exclusive Gold Triangle of the Grande Champagne. Harvested and distilled in 1996, this Cognac was beautifully matured in second fill Limousin French oak casks, in a temperate cellar.

Enchanting nose of madeleine, candied citrus fruits, beeswax, and quince.

Rich, complex, persistent mouth of prune, yellow peach, pronounced empyreumatic notes, as chocolate, tobacco, and toast illustrate a beautiful maturity. Delicious and long finish with aromas of candied orange and a touch of black cherry.


Pineau des Charentes

Tasting Highlights

The traditional aperitif wine of Cognac.

Highly-awarded and available in both red and white versions, these ten and fifteen-year-old "Vieux" Pineau are like nothing you have ever seen previously available in the US market. In other words, they are that good.

Press