Grosperrin MMC 1 Pineau des Charentes

Nose: Sweet white grape, peach, apricot, cognac and a subtle background of very fine oak. It’s similar to the aroma of a late harvest dessert wine or sauternes, but finer, more ethereal and very slightly flinty. Palate: Very well balanced fresh and aged grape flavours that display both sweet and dry characteristics along with a touch of acidity, faint beeswax and dried fruit. Like the nose, the palate is reminiscent of a dessert white wine but the texture here is different, being crisp and lighter. Finish: Short. Demi-sec fruitiness that fades quickly, but agreeably. "MMC" is an abbreviation of "moût muté au cognac" which literally translates as "cognac-mutated grape must". It is basically a form of pineau, a mixture of fresh white grape must (the freshly pressed juice including the skins and stems) and cognac produced from the same estate. The blended liquid is then aged in oak casks for 7 years. Grosperrin produces three types of “MMC” with differing ages, this “MMC1” being the youngest. It should be served chilled and is a delightful aperitif, either neat or mixed 50/50 with champagne. It also works very well as a light after-dinner alternative to a digestif. We consumed the bottle over four days and it lasted well in the refrigerator, but I took care to evacuate the air from the bottle each time. Initially it was very crisp with nice acidity and an almost spritzy quality, but on the second and third days it showed more sweetness. By day four it had the faintest touch of developing sourness, and although it was still very pleasant I doubt it would have survived another day. Oh, and if you disturb the bottle too much when pouring you will notice many faint black flecks (which eventually settle). This is normal and nothing to worry about. “Very Good” : 85/100 (4 stars)