MMC #3 "Very Old" Moût Muté au Cognac

Pineau de Charentes is a local apéritif found in the Cognac region — grape must whose fermentation is stopped by the addition of spirits. It’s typically a simple, pleasant apéritif or dessert pairing, but Guilhem Grosperrin has made it a mission to find outstanding barrel-aged Pineau that lingers both on the palate and in the mind long after the glass is finished. These are bottled under the label MMC (Moût Muté au Cognac) because the farmer barrels he finds typically don’t have the paperwork for the Pineau de Charentes appellation…

This old vin muté from Fins Bois region — likely produced in the decade after World War II and aged in cask until Guilhem bought the stock a couple of years ago from the producer's son — is astoundingly complex, hands-down the most stunning Pineau we have tasted to date. At the first sip we knew we had to get as much as we could, and trust us you will want as much as you can stock. A desert island pour!