Expert: Paul Wagner - 6/9/2006

Question
$Hello,

I recently came into possession of a bottle of Courvoisier Cognac that was given to my grandmother in 1986 by the then Governor of Nevada (and also first "peoples court" judge).  I am by no means knowledgeable about the aging of Courvoisier but hope to have an exquisite treat hiding in my cabinet.  Does the quality of Courvoisier increase with age or am I sitting on a sour bottle?  Is this bottle vaulable?  Any information would help.

Regards,

Dale Kereczman


Answer
Dear Dale:

No. No.  And not really!  

No--distilled spirits, because they are so high in alcohol, do not improve in the bottle. What you have is a really nice bottle of cognac that probably tastes just about as good as when it was put in the bottle 20 years ago.

No--it hasn't turned sour, it is just as good as it was.  (The really valuable older cognacs age in the barrel before being bottled....not in the bottle.)

And so not really, this bottle is probably worth a bit more than the original retail price, but I doubt it would sell for more than $100.  Still, it is an awfully nice bottle of cognac.

Paul Wagner