Giboin is a small scale Cognac producer, which only has 25 acres of vineyards. Yet what they do make is extremely high in quality, and it is a house of Cognac that deserves more attention. The soil at Giboin’s Borderies region farm is rich in clay and low in acidity, making for an intensely flavoured, yet low yield grape (meaning that production is further limited). An interesting feature of this distillery is its slightly bizarre stills, that feature a large copper bulb attached to the spirit still, presumably to aid condensation and increase the copper contact of the spirit, which will make for a purer Cognac. This VSOP bottling is a blend of 6, 7 and 8 year old eau-de-vieux (all of which have been distilled with their lees) which have been aged in small casks, before being married together in French oak casks for a further two years. This is an approachable, light, Cognac that maintains a good level of complexity, with rich vanilla, creamy custard and sweet grape flavours that evolve into the “rancio” that Borderies grapes are famous for. A great sipping Cognac, that makes a mean Sazerac.