A Napoleon, or X.O (for Extra Old ), also called Hors d'âge, is a cognac which youngest eau-de-vie is at least six and a half years old.
A Cognac may be sold only when its youngest eau-de-vie reaches a minimum of two and a half years old, as of the first day of October following the harvest of the grapes.
Only the years of storage in oak barrels count to determine its age. Once transferred into glass, Cognac stops maturing. It stands still.
However, most Cognac houses will use Cognacs much older than those required by law, allowing X.Os to reach a minimum of twenty years old, in order to reveal their very best.
XO is perhaps one of the vaguest classifications regarding quality, and should’t be taken at face value without further search. Some of the XOs you can find in our site are certainly under-priced, while some others, which, of course, you will NOT find here at Le Cognac, may be quite mediocre . In fact, selecting Cognacs with a reasonably quality/price ratios is one of our raisons d’être.
On the other hand, regarding Cognac, beyond a certain level of quality one enters into the realm of subjectivity. And then, of course, there is always a premium in rarity. When a product is scarce, if demand remains strong, it is only natural that prices go up. This is exactly what we have been seeing with high-end Cognac prices in the last few years because of the huge Chinese demand.
As a rule, we would say that the XOs present at Le Cognac are all good value in general market terms. Some of them are indeed very good value.
Château de Montifaud - XO -
Remarkable aromas of dried fruits and, in particular, grilled almonds. Great freshness and not too tannic.
Ariane bottle with its gift box.
Château de Montifaud - XO - Helios
Remarkable aromas of dried fruits and, in particular, grilled almonds. Great freshness and not too tannic.
XO of Château de Montifaud is proposed in four presentations.
Helios decanter with its gift box.
Château de Montifaud - Héritage Louis Vallet
Cask strength Eau de Vie 45-50 years old.
Blend of eaux de vie between 1947 and 1955.
Antic bottle. Gift box on request with extra cost.
Château de Montifaud - XO - Kéops
Remarkable aromas of dried fruits and, in particular, grilled almonds. Great freshness and not too tannic.
XO of Château de Montifaud is proposed in four presentations.
Kéops decanter with its gift box.
Château de Montifaud - Réserve Spéciale Michel Vallet
Special Reserve Michel Vallet : (Helios decanter)
The hints of linden flowers remain very present whereas the flowers on the vine have almost disappeared. There are dreied flowers and vanilla.
In the mouth : apricot and plum. Not aggressive to the palate but the wood is more perceptible than in the VSOP.









