Paul Giraud XO Nicolette 25 years 40% 700ml

Brand: Cognac Paul Giraud

Release Name: XO Nicolette (25 Years)

Spirit Style / Type: XO Grande Champagne Cognac

Composition: Ugni Blanc, with Folle Blanche and Colombard

Age: Approximately 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: Yes (Named, Limited-Production Release)

Award Winner: Not independently confirmed with a specific score for this exact named release — the closely related Paul Giraud XO/Vieille Réserve has scored 96 points from 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.

Nicolette carries genuine personal significance within the family — named directly in honour of Nicolette Giraud, it reflects the deeply personal way this estate names its rarer releases, a tradition also seen in sibling bottlings like Iridis. Matured for around 25 years — well beyond the 10-year legal minimum for XO — it's aged 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 Cognac. The Giraud family has cultivated the same Bouteville vineyards since 1635, with eleven generations succeeding one another at the head of the estate, and Paul Jean Giraud — the tenth generation — now passes his craft to his son Paul, the two sharing a genuine, hands-on attachment to these rare, patiently aged products. One verified customer review called it simply "a great cognac, very long, yet subtle on the palate" — a fitting summary of a Cognac built for genuine complexity rather than raw power. Presented in an elegant crystal-style carafe, it's a serious, story-rich choice for collectors, gifting, or any special occasion calling for real Grande Champagne pedigree.