Expert: Paul Wagner - 5/24/2010

Question
I have a bottle of unopened/boxed cognac that belonged to my grandmother.  The label reads: Cognac de la Distillerie Marmot
"Napoleon" brand 84 proof St. Savinien of Charente France.  It has a criss-cross type wire with a lead seal and wax over the top of the bottle.
According to family lore, it was obtained before prohibition.
Can you tell me the approximate value and what to expect when we open it?

Answer
Hi Ruth

It's a nice old bottle, but it isn't worth much.  Distilled spirits like this are so high in alcohol that they don't change much over time.  That means your bottle is still good to drink, but it won't have appreciated in value the way some fine wines do. It's worth about $35 or so.

You might find a bit more information about the bottle itself at antiquebottles.com.  They are very nice people, but generally collect more Scotch bottles than Cognac.  

Sorry that I can't give you more exciting news.

Paul Wagner