With two thirds of our Cognac-Expert Advent Calendar complete (including this one), today’s pick feels like it could easily have been reserved for the grand finale: the Richard Delisle Lot 53 Grande Champagne Cognac.
The story of the Cabanne family dates back to 1810 when François Cabanne moved from La Vienne to Charente with his wife and two children. In 1839, his eldest son, also named François, married a woman from Bourg-Charente and settled in Chez Genin. Their family home became the heart of their legacy, passed down through generations and eventually serving as the company headquarters.
Upon arriving in Charente, the Cabannes began cultivating the land. By 1844, Jean-Célestin had started a wine business, which his son Philémon expanded into distillation. The distillery began with three copper alembics—a significant operation at the time—and over five generations, it has grown into one of the region’s largest, now boasting 15 copper alembics. Each generation has left its mark, contributing to the expansion of both the vineyard and the distillery.
The Richard Delisle brand itself, founded in 1834 and originally tied to the Mitterrand family, was acquired by the Cabannes after World War II. The family adopted the name for their Cognacs, further cementing their reputation. Today, Alexis Cabanne, the fourth-generation owner and cellar master, continues the family’s legacy. He has expanded into spirit trading on traditional markets and launched Hawkins Distribution in 1999 to export their Cognacs worldwide.
Richard Delisle Lot 53 Cognac Review
The Richard Delisle Lot 53 Cognac is crafted exclusively from Ugni Blanc grapes sourced from the Grande Champagne cru. Distilled without the lees in 25-hectoliter copper alembics, it was aged in fine-grain, lightly toasted oak casks made by Tonnellerie Taranseaud. Following this, it spent 70 years maturing in Richard Delisle’s humid cellar. While this exceptional cognac remains unreleased, the samples included in the Cognac-Expert Advent Calendar are bottled at their natural strength of 54% ABV.
Colour:
Polished mohagony.
Nose:
Neat: Gorgeous rancio dominates the nose, accompanied by juicy raisins, passion fruit, and a touch of cigar box. Despite its age, it remains remarkably vibrant and fresh, with no overpowering influence from the wood—perfectly balanced.
With water: The aromas become slightly sharper, revealing notes of peppermint, nasturtium, and confit of ginger and mango.
Palate:
Neat: The palate surpasses the nose, offering an explosion of passion fruit, orange, lemon, grapefruit, kumquat, and a medley of citrus fruits. These bright flavors are complemented by dark chocolate, cedar cigar box, and rich tobacco leaves. A refreshing twist comes through with eucalyptus, licorice, and menthol, alongside the beautiful rancio from the nose. The creamy, mouth-coating texture is perfectly balanced by a light, pleasant astringency—absolutely flawless.
With water: All the flavors from the neat experience become even more pronounced and harmonious. Each note—citrus, chocolate, wood, and freshness—takes its turn to shine, creating a seamless and perfectly balanced palate.
Finish:
A blend of creamy chocolate mousse and passion fruit juice leads the way, followed by juicy raisins, a touch of wood perfectly in harmony, and a refreshing citrusy sourness. The finish is remarkably long, lingering warmly on the lips and gums. Minutes later, the warmth shifts into a gentle astringency. Just when it feels like the finish is fading, it evolves further, revealing notes of tobacco leaves and a hint of wax—a stunning and dynamic finale.
Comments:
Just wow. This Richard Delisle Lot 53 Cognac is a masterpiece, showcasing why Grande Champagne is regarded as the Premier Cru of Cognac. Whilst I haven’t tasted thousands or even hundreds of cognacs, my experiences at spirits shows have allowed me to sample some exceptional ones—well beyond the offerings of big commercial brands and supermarket shelves. Yet, this Richard Delisle stands out as one of the best cognacs I’ve ever had. I truly hope it becomes available without venturing into four-figure pricing because, if there’s one last cognac I need to own, it’s this one. Absolutely stunning.
