Guillon-Painturaud VSOP Cognac

An exquisitely aged, elegantly smooth, well-balanced Cognac… and you should buy more than one.

There is a lot to love about Guillon Painturaud. The family has owned and operated the vineyard and distillery there since 1610 — just imagine… four hundred years of family tradition and history. And a family operation like this has to remain small. The entire estate production sits on just 45 acres of land and EVERYTHING is done on site from growing the grapes to fermentation, distilling, aging, and bottling. All of the vines are Ugni Blanc planted into rich, limestone soils perfect for aging fine Cognac. Until the 1970s, all production was sold to larger houses for blending. Now, 100% of this golden juice is estate-bottled in a tidy range of delectable Spirits.

There is an old adage… “Buy the least expensive house in the most expensive neighborhood.” The VSOP is the core entry into the Guillon Painturaud line of fine Cognacs. That makes it the most affordable Cognac in a line of some extremely fine Spirits — and an exceptional value. Seriously… it’s a consistently impressive winner that not only pairs well with roasted meats and creamy desserts, but lingers pleasantly on the palate neat like Cognacs costing twice the price.

Smartass corner:
The naming of Cognac indicates its age range. These legal standards were updated and more clearly defined in 2016 and 2018. For Cognacs, VS means the youngest Spirit in the bottle has aged for a minimum of two years, VSOP means four years, Napoleon is a new “official” designation and means six years, XO mean ten years, and Hors d’âge means ten years and beyond.