294667 Sat Nov 01 02:52:10 -0800 2003 16 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1616840 My son brought me a birthday present from near his home in Mendocino, CA. It was a bottle of Brandy, from "Germain-Robin", in Ukiah, CA. They are making world class Brandies. The bottle my son gave me is a Alambic Brandy, that is considered one of the finest in the World. "Anno Domini". It can't belive how wondefull, smooth, it tates actually the finest i've ever tried. The best I have at home to compare it with is Remy Martins. "Louie IV", this was in a different class, even better then the very special Brandies or Cognac's i've tasted thru the years. I made him take it home to serve only at special family occassions in the future after I found out what it cost. I did keep to enjoy a bottle of their XO. Thats very good, but not nearly as special as the Anno Domini. After tasting these supurb Brandies i'm wondering if any other Chowhounders are familiar with the products. This is the first time i've ever tried a American Brandy that equal or better then Europe's finest is this the begining of a new trend. I've posted a link below. Irwin Link: http:www.germain-robin.com Sat Nov 01 02:52:10 -0800 2003 0 Irwin Koval 1 1616841 Happy birthday! Germain-Robin makes a great product. Their starting premise was to make a better brandy than you can find in cognac by using superior grape varieties (vs. ugni blanc) and superior vinification methods to preserve more of this richness and depth in the base wines. The results speak for themselves. You raised that boy right, Irwin. Sat Nov 01 04:19:37 -0800 2003 1616840 0 Melanie Wong 1 1616844 I had problems with that link. Try this. Thanks for the post. Link: http://www.germain-robin.com/ Sat Nov 01 09:55:11 -0800 2003 1616840 0 JonL 1 1616878 Happy birthday indeed! Germain-Robin does make some very nice things. I'm not familiar with the wonderful bottle that you received, but I have had their (approximately) VSOP, and it's quite good -- drier than VSOPs are generally (I go by Hennessy, since it's what's in the cabinet), probably more comparable to a Delamain cognac. I have also read good things about Carneros Alambic Brandy, also from CA, but haven't had the fortune to try any. Perhaps when we christen the new house next month... Cheers, Xochitl10 Sat Nov 01 21:40:02 -0800 2003 1616840 0 Xochitl10 1 1616882 pardon my ignorance here mr. k, as i respect how you are wise in much food-related information and that i see you seem a brandy fan. my question is, are you telling us that the brandy made by one of those 1970's-80's california yuppie wine producer guys brand is as good or better than that made in armanagac-cognac france? with its long history and culture of making these spirits? this gr brand has hardly been around long enough to age. taste is taste, but call me a defender of the old school. my limited experience is that i enjoy armanagac/brandy on occasion and i've been consistantly let down by the baby boomer california wine hype machine. Sat Nov 01 22:05:56 -0800 2003 1616840 0 mrnyc 2 1616885 mrnyc: Please check out their website. According to my son, who is very familiar with his neigbors vineyards, both located adjacent to his home on Navarro Ridge, Moet & Chandon and Roderer they are actually doing it by the very oldest traditional methods established by their family traditions from Cognac. They sold out their family Cognac business, and settled in Ukiah. What they seem determined to do, is use the best of everything. Starting with superior grapes, Barrels, processing and experience. It's amazing how much they've accomplished in such a short time, by Brandy standards. The other poster certainly picked up a simularity that I noticed to my favorite Brut Dry style of Cognac. "Delmain", it been one of my favories for years. Appearently these Brewmasters aren't yuppies, just the real hard working, hands on specialists that are doing the right thing. It looks like the culture, long history and experience is established in Mendocino County, Ca. The Brandy I tasted is better the Louie IV, and considerably less expensive, but still high priced. Irwin Sat Nov 01 22:37:37 -0800 2003 1616882 0 Irwin Koval 3 1616911 thanks everyone! i have to admit small batch alambic distillation and the finest quality grapes could make as much difference as history. certainly worth a try if i ever happen to see the stuff. Sun Nov 02 17:18:18 -0800 2003 1616885 0 mrnyc 2 1616892 Germain-Robin is in a completely different class from, say E&J or Korbel brandies (which are fine to mix with if you've been given a bottle as a gift, but _never_ to be drunk neat, IMO). At least part of it has to do with the fact that they use French-style alambics to produce the spirit. I keep a decent range of cognacs in the cabinet, and (VSOP to 50+ years), and I would not in the least mind having a bottle of G-R. Unfortunately, I don't think it's a brand that many bars keep in stock, so it's difficult to try unless you acquire your own or have generous friends with a bottle. Cheers, Xochitl10 Sun Nov 02 09:36:37 -0800 2003 1616882 0 Xochitl10 2 1616893 you have to put it in perspective, G-R makes the same amount of brandy in a year as the big cognac houses make in about an hour. I'm sure if you go to the grande champagne region and knock on some small producers door you will find he uses the same techniques and quality grapes as G-R does Sun Nov 02 09:42:05 -0800 2003 1616882 0 byrd 3 1616905 Byrd: My perspective about Brandy was aquired from, "Frank Schoonmaker" who spent many years in the Cognac region of France devoloping some of the finest Botique type Cognac's some that he presented for export under his own labels. Since I generally don't drink, but enjoy the fragrance, smoothness and sipping quality of Brandy I had complete selection of his imports that we served at my restaurant in Honolulu. From the many experienced Brandy Drinkers who enjoyed the selection we learned about and continued to aquire many very special Brandies from all over the World. I also had the opportunity to indulge in various tasting from the private Seagram Collection in the Cellers of the Seagram Building in NYC where they had a awesome selection, including Ports several hundred years old. Irwin Sun Nov 02 15:30:08 -0800 2003 1616893 0 Irwin Koval 4 1616929 I'm also a delamain devotee but have loved GR brandy for years. What a great present. And happy birthday. Your slip of a mention about the seagram cellar made me sit here and dream for a bit about what you found - wow. I'd love to hear more.... Mon Nov 03 01:28:01 -0800 2003 1616905 0 djk 5 1616935 delamain or GR is one good and one bad no they are both excellent Mon Nov 03 08:46:44 -0800 2003 1616929 0 byrd 6 1616959 I don't think anyone has questioned that - yes, they are both excellent. Just spreading the news.... Mon Nov 03 11:50:54 -0800 2003 1616935 0 djk 2 1617297 Actually Germain Robin, while a US brand, definitely is not some "1970's-80's california yuppie wine producer guys brand." The firm's co-founder, Hubert Germain-Robin, was part of a small, family owned, long-established cognac house in France (since 1782) that was bought by Martell. He was fed up with the short cuts that the big cognac houses were taking and wanted to use what he had learned to make the best brandy he could. I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to visit GR and taste with Hubert and his partner Ansley Coale as part of research for the first trade magazine article on US alembic brandies in the early '90's. At that time, they only had two products, but even then the more expensive one at least as good and possibly better -- especially for the price -- than a top end Delamain we tasted along side. Tue Nov 04 21:43:33 -0800 2003 1616882 0 Joan Kureczka 3 1617461 Joan: Thank yo for your reponse. I'm pretty sure that Hubert Germains family Cognac was one of the many family owned Cognac's imported by Frank Schoonmaker into the United States that tasted superior to the Delamain Cognac with special qualities that we compared. I've often wondered if any of his marvelous selections were still available for purchase, He was a quisietential person in the evolution of superior Cognac very much un-appreciated for his accomplishements in Brandy and Wine. Irwin Wed Nov 05 18:57:22 -0800 2003 1617297 0 Irwin Koval 1 1616884 Yes, we enjoy them as well. We haven't tried the very special bottling that you were lucky enough to sample. I concur with what Melanie said. Most brandies in France, even the big Cognac houses, don't use first quality grapes. Germain Robin decided to use best quality fruit to give themselves a "leg up." It works. They make a good product at a good price. Sat Nov 01 22:14:50 -0800 2003 1616840 0 JudiAU 1 1617018 Irwin, I think that Germaine Robin brandies are quite special, but then I may be biased. My neighbor is a sales rep for GR, and after several tastings with her - including the eggnog tasting that involved tasting the full lineup of GR, those of GR's competitors and her own special blend stored in a barrel in her dining room and that was before we even got to the eggnog - the thing that strikes me about these beautiful brandies is the delicate intricacy in their aromas. Even with all of my neighbor's educational efforts on my behalf, I didn't think of myself as a brown spirits drinker until I recently bought a bottle of the Fine for use in a pate recipe, and ended up finishing the pate with a glass of Fine in my hand. Mon Nov 03 17:17:19 -0800 2003 1616840 0 Jennie Sheeks