The 2023 Edition of Courvoisier’s Mizunara Cognac goes on sale at luxury department stores this month, and with just 500 bottles available priced at £2,500, connoisseurs will need to be quick to get their hands on one.
The cognac comes just over a year after the success of the inaugural edition of Courvoisier Mizunara. The rare and wholly unique blend has been crafted using French tradition and Japanese workmanship. And the 2023 Courvoisier Mizunara edition is Maison Courvoisier’s most precious and exclusive blend to date. It’s thought to be even more ‘daring’ than the first.
Inspired by the iconic brand’s rich history dating back to 1828, Maison Courvoisier’s Seventh Chief Blender Thibaut Hontanx and Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo of the House of Suntory’s Fifth Generation teamed up to produce the unique blend.
The pair have drawn on their collective expertise to create the cognac to reinforce their beliefs that distinctive blends are born when the best of two cultures join forces.
This year’s Mizunara Cognac blend features a distinctive harmony of exotic fruits, jasmine and cherry blossom beautifully juxtaposed with the house’s signature notes of rich fruits, layered with an elegant floral finish. The understated elegance of the bottle allows the golden mahogany of the liquid to shine through, providing a canvas for the legendary Japanese Mizunara oak tree.
As the youngest and smallest among the “big four” cognac houses, which include Hennessy, Rémy Martin, and Martell, Maison Courvoisier continues to establish itself as a prominent presence in the industry.
Courvoisier is the Most Awarded Cognac House (Based on 20 top spirits competitions since 2019) with a range of expressions that appeal to a variety of cognac preferences and lifestyles. These include VS, VSOP, XO, and the ultimate expression of the House, L’Essence de Courvoisier.
Each blend of the limited experimental series is unique and features only the most exquisite eaux-de-vie of the house from the region’s top crus—Grande Champagne. Considered to be the most prestigious of the Cognac region, this year’s edition is blended with Petite Champagne and Borderies for added complexity, depth, and a long finish.
Courvoisier’s Mizunara Cognac begins its journey ageing in casks hewn from the region’s finest oak before being transferred to rare Japanese Mizunara oak casks. This notoriously temperamental wood, which must be over 200 years old, is tough to work with because the tree itself grows sideways and gnarled.
The 2023 Mizunara Cognac blend showcases an even more pronounced overture of the Mizunara wood than its predecessor. But the brand says it’s confident connoisseurs will be able to detect their unmistaken cognac taste.
Given the unprecedented rarity of Mizunara casks and the Master Blenders’ meticulous attention to detail, just 500 bottles of Courvoisier’s Mizunara Cognac will be available in select countries at a suggested retail price of £2,500 from August. The bottles will be stocked at Harvey Nichols, Harrods, and Selfridges in the UK.
Hontanx said, “As we continue to explore the possibilities of oak, we’ve learned that time is crucial when working with Mizunara oak. It’s important to be patient to achieve its full potential. He added. “Born out of our desire to experiment with oak sources and harness its impact on Cognac, the 2023 edition of Courvoisier Mizunara pushes the boundaries of traditional cognac even further.”
Maison Courvoisier’s Mizunara Cognac 2023 – Where and How?
The cognac will be available at a suggested retail price of £2,500 at Harvey Nichols, Harrods and Selfridges from August. For more information on Courvoisier’s range of products and to learn about its storied history, please visit www.courvoisier.com.
Read more features, along with news from the wines and spirits industry, first-hand reviews and guides here.
You must be logged in to post a comment.