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Lexicon

The largest wine encyclopedia in the world with 26,295 Terms.

0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

VSOP

An abbreviation for ‘Very Superior Old Pale’, a legally defined designation indicating a minimum ageing period for various French spirits. The English term dates back to the 19th-century British market for French brandies, which was of significant importance at the time. ‘Pale’ originally referred to a lighter style, as opposed to more deeply coloured distillates. Both the spellings VSOP and V.S.O.P. are in common use. Occasionally, the designation VVSOP (Very Very Superior Old Pale) is also used for particularly long-aged or higher-grade qualities. However, it does not constitute a separate, legally defined age category.

Cognac

In the case of cognac, VSOP refers to a blend in which the youngest eau-de-vie has been aged for at least four years in oak casks. The designation thus ranks above VS (Very Special; at least two years) and below Napoléon (at least six years) and XO (Extra Old; at least ten years). The actual ageing period of the distillates used may be considerably longer than the prescribed minimum age.

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Thorsten Rahn

The Wine lexicon helps me to keep up to date and refresh my knowledge. Thank you for this Lexicon that will never end in terms of topicality! That's what makes it so exciting to come back often.

Thorsten Rahn
Restaurantleiter, Sommelier, Weindozent und Autor; Dresden

The world's largest Lexicon of wine terms.

26,295 Keywords · 46,494 Synonyms · 259,217 Cross-references
made with ♥ by our author Norbert F. J. Tischelmayer. About the Lexicon

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