Château Montifaud is a sixth-generation family-owned Cognac distillery located near Jarnac in the Petite Champagne sub-area of the Cognac appellation.
The vineyard was first created established as Montifaud in 1837 by Augustin, and has seen the succession of Pierre, Maurice, Louis, and Michel before Laurent, the current manager took over the estate in 2000. The family cellars have been ageing Cognacs since 1866.
Unlike the Maisons of Cognac that often buy spirits from other producers for ageing them, Château Montifaud grows all grapes necessary to the production of its Cognacs and Pineau des Charentes on estate-owned vineyards (10 hectares in Grande Champagne and 120 ha in Petite Champagne).
Laurent Vallet is a passionate and very friendly Cognac maker, putting an incredible attention to detail into the crafting of his spirits. The result?
Chateau Montifaud Cognac feature a signature style that is floral with a constant smoothness to the expression. They are cognacs that have no aggressiveness whatsoever, a relaxed development on the palate, and deliver a comforting tasting experience.
Visit a Cognac Distillery at Château Montifaud
Château Montifaud offers tastings at the cellar door, as well as guided tours available upon reservation.
Visitors will see the sumptuous alambics (copper stills), the blending and ageing rooms, following along the crafting process of Cognac.
Learn more about Chateau Montifaud and tours at chateaumontifaud.com
Take a Video Tour of Château Montifaud
Slideshow of Château Montifaud
Tasting Château Montifaud’s Cognacs & Pineau des Charentes
The distillery offers a super extensive range of Cognacs, from VS to very rare and old Cognacs, through XO, Napoleon, vintage, and special bottlings.
Find below my tasting notes for those I tasted.
Château Montifaud V.S. Fine Petite Champagne: blended from eaux-de-vie aged for 4-5 years. Dense and floral, this is already deep and complex for a VS. Delicate notes of basswood and vine flowers for an over smooth and elegant expression.
Reserve Michel Vallet: Notes of dried flowers, honey, potpourri, mixed herbs and delicate spices. A complete, ample and deep Cognac also featuring great freshness of flavors and purity of its floral characters. Balanced and round.
X.O.: about 30 years old. Ample and generous, yet with a great tension. Soft tannins, always the signature floral expression character, combined to savory wood ashes tones. The depth and complex spectrum of flavors of a very old Cognac. An excellent XO.
L50 Héritage Louis Vallet: the cognacs of Laurent’s grandfather (and the cognacs Laurent drinks on a Saturday night). A rare family reserve Cognac, exceptionally long but still lively and lifted, full of dried and fresh apricot and flowers, yet and immense depth and complexity.
Vintage 1976 Cognac Millésimé: 43% abv. Loads of character and personality, a Cognac with punch and slightly edgy tannins, slightly smoky, big hearted, excellent for connoisseurs in search of a unique expression, not tamed by the blending.
Vieux Pineau des Charentes Blanc & Rouge: Aged for 10 years in French oak, a rare trait for Pineaus. Both are deep, and surprisingly intense, not only your average fruit character, but the smoky oakiness of a long ageing, and the generous warmth of the Cognac in there, with dried apricot and pineapple.
Learn more about Château Montifaud and all their Cognacs on chateaumontifaud.com
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