"Our friends Cathérine and Stéphane from Vallein Tercinier created this very good cognac especially for us. Accessible yet with a unique profile. With his 44% a bit higher thand the well-known standard expressions. This assemblage blend is about 20 years old (average) and is created from different vintages from different crus.

The nose is very pleasant, orange blossoms, nuts, gingerbread and english (christmas)cake. There are also some smokey touches, interesting. On the taste lots of oranges, dried flowers and lots of brioche, raisins and vanilla pudding. The cinnamon and ginger creates a nice balanced cognac.The finish has lots of white fruit, menthol, dried tobacco leaves and raisins. This is a pleasure, to share with your loved ones or as a nice present?"

Tasting notes by Serge Valentin (Whiskyfun.com): 88 points

This new blend is said to be 20 years old, more or less. Bûche de Noël means yule log, so we might be too early with this one, but this is Vallein-Tercinier and we are Whiskyfun, capeesh?

Colour: amber.

Nose: cognac provençal? Funny that I would find liquorice and black olives in this one, a touch of aniseed (there, pastis) as well as almost tons of black nougat. This should count as one of the twelve desserts of Christmas – a Provençal thing indeed.

Mouth: a tad gritty at first (crikey, I might have said armagnac), then very chocolaty, with various fruit fillings, prunes perhaps, rum (rum’s not a fruit, S.), some coffee, some praline, more nougat, a little tobacco, and a good glass of middle-aged rancio from Rivesaltes. No, that’s not quite in Provence anymore.

Finish: rather long, chocolaty, with raisins and rum. Sultanas, ripe peaches and melons are coming in the aftertaste, together with a little mint.

Comments: just excellent, very ‘full’, whatever that means. I’ll keep a few cls for Christmas eve.