Paul Giraud Cognac XO 25 years Grande Champagne 40% 700ml

Brand: Cognac Paul Giraud

Release Name: XO / Vieille Réserve (25 Years)

Spirit Style / Type: XO Grande Champagne Cognac

Composition: Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard

Age: 25 Years (XO Grade)

Volume: 700ml Bottle

Alc / Vol (%): 40.0%

Country: France

Region: Grande Champagne (Premier Cru), Bouteville

Cask Type: French Limousin Oak, Medium Toast (Approximately 33% New Barrels), Aged in Humid Cellars

Limited Edition: No (Paul Giraud's Standing XO/Vieille Réserve Release)

Award Winner: Yes — 96 Points, Wine Enthusiast

Cognac Paul Giraud is a family-owned estate in Bouteville, in the heart of Grande Champagne, with winegrowing roots tracing back to around 1650 — nearly four centuries of continuous family stewardship. Paul Jean Giraud, born in 1952, represents the 10th generation to lead the domain, having founded the modern Cognac Paul Giraud brand alongside his father in 1975. The estate's vineyards sit entirely within Grande Champagne, Cognac's classified Premier Cru, in the shadow of the historic Château of Montmorency-Bouteville, and Paul Giraud is widely regarded by specialists as one of the finest representatives of authentic, single-vintage Grande Champagne Cognac, producing a range spanning from 6-year to 60-year-old releases.

This is a genuine single-estate XO, and its scores back up the reputation — Wine Enthusiast awarded it 96 points, describing it as "like gingerbread in a glass… bold baking spice, orange peel and floral notes, and an elegant, spicy finish." Aged for over 25 years, well beyond the 10-year legal minimum for XO, it's matured in the estate's distinctively humid cellars — a hallmark Giraud technique many Cognac connoisseurs believe intensifies flavour and aroma more than drier ageing conditions typical elsewhere in the region. The Giraud family has cultivated the same Bouteville vineyards in Grande Champagne, Cognac's classified Premier Cru, since 1635, and this XO reflects that near four-century dedication to terroir and tradition in every sip. Made from Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard grapes grown entirely on the family's own estate, and aged in barrels with a medium toast (roughly a third of them new), it offers genuine depth and complexity well beyond what its XO classification requires. A serious, critically acclaimed choice for Cognac collectors and connoisseurs, best enjoyed neat to fully appreciate its rich, velvety character.