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Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
Buy any 6 bottles and save 5%. Buy any 12 bottles and save 10% (excludes wines on offer). Free UK delivery on orders over £100. Tel: 02922 337454
Cuvée Rabelais Cognac, Frapin, (Decanter Gift Box)

Cuvée Rabelais Cognac, Frapin, (Decanter Gift Box)

Cognac, France

The Gilded Manuscript

Delicate, profound and beautifully layered, Cuvée Rabelais reveals its grandeur with remarkable subtlety. Glowing amber with orange reflections, it opens with fragrant orange peel and candied apricot, followed by dried fruit and the gentle perfume of old oak. As it unfolds, liquorice, tobacco leaf and cigar-box aromas bring a deeper, savoury dimension. Everything feels finely interwoven, with the fruit retaining its clarity beneath the complex character of long maturation.

The palate is graceful and enveloping, carrying concentrated flavour with a wonderfully composed texture. Dried fruit and mellow wood give way to the distinctive savoury complexity of Charentais rancio, while an exceptionally persistent finish allows each layer to linger. This is a Cognac to explore slowly, served neat and given time to open in the glass. Presented in a handcrafted crystal decanter and luxurious gift box, it makes an extraordinary gift for a collector or a memorable way to mark a personal milestone. Its maturation is complete, with no further bottle ageing required.

For when: A once-in-a-lifetime occasion deserves something with generations behind it.

Pairs with: Dark chocolate truffles, apricot and almond tart, walnut gâteau, caramelised pear tart, mature Comté, or roasted figs with mascarpone.

Cuvée Rabelais honours François Rabelais, the Renaissance writer, physician and humanist connected to the Frapin family through his mother, Anne-Catherine Frapin. His celebration of life provides a fitting inspiration for this rare Cognac, assembled from precious reserves held in the house’s Paradis cellars and glass demijohns.

The presentation is equally considered. Cristallerie Saint-Louis creates the numbered crystal decanter, blowing, cutting and decorating it by hand with 18-carat gold. A sculptural stand gilded in 24-carat gold supports its rounded form, while a lacquered wooden presentation case completes the ensemble. It is a piece of craftsmanship designed to remain treasured long after the Cognac has been enjoyed.

£5,495.00 - £5,495.00
£5,495.00
£5,495.00 - £5,495.00
£5,495.00
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The Frapin family’s history in the Charente dates to 1270, when they settled near Segonzac as winegrowers. Over successive generations, their expertise expanded into distillation and the patient stewardship of mature Cognac. Château Fontpinot remains the heart of an estate where the connection between vineyard, still and cellar is central to the house’s identity.

Frapin’s 240 hectares of vines lie entirely within Grande Champagne, Cognac’s Premier Cru. Chalk and limestone soils, gently sloping vineyards and an Atlantic-influenced climate provide the setting for wines suited to distillation and prolonged ageing. The estate grows Ugni Blanc, valued for its natural acidity and ability to produce delicate, aromatic eaux-de-vie.

Cellar master Patrice Piveteau oversees a tradition of distillation on the lees, attentive maturation and precise blending. The house works with both dry and humid cellars, developing different expressions of texture and aroma. Its most treasured reserves are carefully preserved in the Paradis cellars, providing the material for exceptional creations such as Cuvée Rabelais.

Cuvée Rabelais is a blend of rare Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie selected from Frapin’s Paradis cellars and old Cognacs preserved in glass demijohns. The selection centres on maturity, aromatic complexity and the way individual components complement one another, drawing on reserves accumulated over generations.

Frapin’s production tradition begins with estate-grown grapes fermented into wine, followed by double distillation on the lees in Charentais copper pot stills. The distillers make their selections through tasting, retaining the heart of the spirit for maturation. Distillation with the lees contributes richness and aromatic depth that develop during ageing.

The house matures its eaux-de-vie in Limousin oak, including very old barrels that allow slow evolution with little further wood influence. Dry cellars encourage finesse, while humid cellars promote roundness. For Cuvée Rabelais, these mature reserves are combined with venerable stocks held in demijohns, where their character is preserved for future blending. No fixed age statement is assigned to the finished cuvée.

Alcohol: 40%. Grande Champagne Premier Cru Cognac. Bottle size: 700ml. Ready to enjoy.

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