The Reserve is a brilliant yellow-gold moving into dark amber, and the increased age gives it more depth and density.
The fresh roses have transitioned to dried roses, and the bright citrus has softened and mellowed into something richer and more diffuse. A distinct note of honey pervades the nose, and the texture is dense, soft, and silky.
The vanilla-spice is more pronounced---as one might expect with the ten additional years of aging--- and more of the pastry baking odors come forth, with dried apple pie and cinnamon dominating initially.
Slowly and subtly, nuances of clove, burnt orange peel, and cocoa begin to emerge, then a whiff of licorice, and tobacco leaf and toasted nuts.
All the edges are rounded in this Cognac and all the elements are mingled in perfect harmony with each other. The ardent fire found in younger or lesser Cognacs is here banked to a soft, glowing warmth.
This is a very living testament to both the terroir of the Grande Champagne and the fine nose of the Master Blender of Pierre Ferrand. All Cognacs are, of course, a sum of their parts, and when you begin with superb lots you expect a superlative result. But the Reserve actually transcends the parts and becomes even more---deeper, rounder, richer, and infinitely more complex and compelling. This is a contemplative Cognac for eking out the quiet hours of the night, and reflecting on things profound.
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