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| Hello, that is one among our (nearly) day by day tastings. Santé! |
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Might 1, 2022
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A phrase of warning
Let me please remind you that my humble assessments of any spirits are executed from the viewpoint of a malt whisky fanatic who, what’s extra, is aboslutely not an skilled in rum, brandy, tequila, vodka, gin or every other spirits. Thanks – and peace! |
| Armagnac clearly on the rise at Château Whiskyfun (French department). Armagnac, when sourced fastidiously, is usually a fixed supply of pleasure, with many much less lower corners than with malt whisky, in case you ask me. Much less NAS, PX, STR, much less flavouring, much less pointless branding and advertising and marketing stunts… The issue is that there is in all probability 100 instances much less armagnac available on the market, however nonetheless, let’s have a great wee bunch… (image, duck confit with pommes sarladaises) |
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Domaine de Martin 2007/2021 (49%, Darroze, Bas-armagnac, Distinctive Assortment) 
A really wee Domaine in Hontanx and a mixture of baco, ugni blanc, colombard and folle blanche. That is all of them, no? Darroze are superb at providing small domaines in addition to larger-batch glories, equivalent to a 50 yo ‘Grands Assemblages’ that I had discovered extraordinarily expressive round 5 years in the past (WF 93). Color: full gold. Nostril: oh, meats, patchouli, menthol tobacco, teak oil, propolis, gentian, mezcal, walnut stain, Seville oranges… With such a nostril the palate may very well be an utter wreck. Except… Mouth: after all not, however boy is it thick and heavy. Extra resins, chestnut and pine honeys, propolis certainly, very heavy molasses, then some form of earthy triple-sec, liquorice and caramel, heavy mead… End: very lengthy, nonetheless thick and heavy, syrupy, piney, honeyed… Feedback: most actually glorious, however I am discovering it a tad tiring due to its excessive, very sturdy thickness. Even water would not fairly work (I’ve tried). You possibly can nearly name this navy armagnac.
SGP:661 – 83 factors. |
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All proper, all proper, let’s attempt to pull the parachute…
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Domaine Séailles 2006/2022 (57.5%, OB for armagnac.de, Ténarèze, cask #100) 
From a really tiny property in Mouchan within the Gers. However naturally, ‘pull the parachute’, nicely executed. 57.5%, that is most likely increased than the energy of what was working from the wee column… Except it was batch, I consider you are able to do batch too in armagnac. Color: golden amber. Nostril: pure fruit lotions, syrups, jams and liqueurs. Melons, peaches, quinces, mirabelles, grape, then acacia honey, muscat, Sauternes… With water: oh, rose petals, gewurztraminer, litchis, extra quinces, maybe hibiscus… Mouth (neat): all pleasure, with the identical candy fruits plus touches of liquorice and delicate blond tobacco. With water: natural teas and a few cinnamon-like spices chiming in. Slightly oak/bark too. End: quite medium, leafier, with a great feeling of ‘the countryside down there’. I agree that is a awful descriptor. Feedback: superb, with correct candy and leafy rusticity.
SGP:651 – 85 factors. |
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Séailles 20 yo 2000/2021 (54%, Grape of the Artwork, Ténarèze, cask #19, 195 bottles)
Grape of the Artwork, like it. That is pure ugni blanc. Color: brilliant amber. Nostril: you will discover a related jammy fruitiness, but in addition extra tobacco (Camels) and fudge. Slightly hash, maybe. Water is required to kind this out… With water: bingo, varnish, acetone, peach liqueur, fudge, Demerara sugar, molasses, tyres… One thick child for positive, but it surely works. Mouth (neat): quite huge, concentrated, very ‘Ténarèze’ (so far as this humble aficionado can inform), with some heavy toffee, chocolate, chestnut purée, a bit tarry and earthy liquorice… No, for instance that, it IS fairly ‘Ténarèze’. With water: strikes in the direction of pine, thyme and turpentine. We’re quite followers, regardless of the apparent rustic facet. Proper, perhaps due to the apparent rustic facet. End: lengthy, a tad smoother, but in addition extra mentholy and chocolatey. Skinny mints from the Gers. Feedback: high-power Ténarèze, filled with rusticity and appeal.
SGP:561 – 87 factors. |
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Château Arton 2011/2022 ‘La Flamme’ (50.5%, OB, Haut-armagnac)
Haut-armagnac isn’t that widespread. The home Arton appears to be selling the concept armagnac is about wine quite than about ‘brandy’. They even declare that ‘armagnac isn’t brandy’. We will not argue, we love each wine and brandy. That is pure ugni blanc. Color: gold. Nostril: fragrant, quite on triple-sec, mint, liquorice and pine needles at first sniffing. Will get then a bit extra floral (ylang-ylang?) and even on hay and meadow flowers. There’s some delicate lightness to this one. Chamomile tea. With water: oh excellent, with some spent motor oil, pistachios and olive-filled focaccia. Actually. Mouth (neat): extraordinarily good, at an ideal energy, beginning barely acidic if not a notch acerbic, with some large citrusness (pink grapefruits) after which mints and small herbs and flowers. Half a drop of absinth. With water: cautious, water flattens it. Not a great swimmer. End: medium, with an even bigger leafy facet. Feedback: please no water on this one! In any other case, it is excellent. #armagnacisnotbrandy.
SGP:451 – 86 factors. |
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Domaine de Danis 2002/2022 (49.5%, OB, armagnac, pièce #78)
We’re in Castelnau d’Auzan this time, and that is pure folle blanche. The domaine is positioned in part of the Gers that is bordering the Landes. Ought to be Bas-armagnac, no? Color: full gold. Nostril: simple in the very best sense of that phrase, actually lighter than the Ténarèzes that we simply tried, and in a manner (do not shoot), cognacqy. Peach jam, sultanas, vanilla fudge, wee whiffs of wooden smoke, melon liqueur… Briefly, all good and quite simple to this point. Mouth: tremendous good, simple, fruity, but agency, with many apples and oranges, apricots, touches of honey, a wee rustic earthiness, and probably a bit grapiness in the direction of the end (feeling of marc and grappa). End: medium, nonetheless a tad grappa-y, however that is no unhealthy information in any respect. Tempo! The aftertaste is a tad extra woody and resinous, in a wonderfully all-right method. Slightly espresso within the after-aftertaste. Feedback: one other glorious drop from the Gers.
SGP:651 – 85 factors. |
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Replace: they’re really positioned in a sandy a part of Ténarèze. Thanks Sascha.
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Domaine Cutxan 1997/2021 (41.9%, L’Encantada, Bas-armagnac, cask #21, 402 bottles)
100% baco this time. I am nonetheless attempting to get well from the Pouy by L’Encantada that we have had just a few weeks in the past. We’re in Cauzabon within the Gers this time, the place they’ve an impressive outdated church referred to as ‘Eglise de Cutxan’. So we will count on some fairly religious armagnac… Color: amber. Nostril: drat, late-harvest Pinot Gris and honeysuckle. Generally you don’t want quite a lot of literature (literature!) to precise what you are feeling a couple of specific spirit. Mouth: one other one that may make you consider an incredible very outdated cognac. Peach syrup, mints, noble mushrooms, grilled herbs, quince liqueur, Szechuan pepper, contact of ham, vetiver, wormwood… Nicely, these scribblings are easy however this armagnac could be very complicated, if a tad fragile. Wants your time and desires your consideration. End: medium, with a bit espresso liqueur, maybe. Some grittier peach tea within the aftertaste. I imply peach leaves. Feedback: not the large/daring facet of armagnac for positive, and time could have taken its toll as they are saying, however I am discovering this fragility extraordinarily charming.
SGP:651 – 87 factors. |
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Castarède 1984/2020 (40%, OB, Bas-armagnac) 
That is clearly old-school armagnac. Proof, they bottled it at 40% vol. Now we have had some superior folles blanches by the home Castarède, however this is perhaps a bit completely different. Color: amber. Nostril: precisely armagnac as we used to comprehend it. I imply, you wolf down foie gras, then a confit de canard with pommes sarladaises, all that with some good Madiran and Bergerac, after which you could have just a few glasses of… this. Good, simple, but complicated terroiry armagnac, on mushrooms, espresso and chocolate, prunes, raisins, tiny touches of lees, menthol, after which extra earthy and mushroomy smells. Damp, musty outdated cellar. Mouth: glorious, thick and light-weight, heavy and skinny, grapey, splendidly bitter, acetic, raisiny… Notes of gravy, Worcester sauce, English brown sauce… That is actually old-school. Higher not think about what would have occurred, had they bottled this at 46% vol. as an alternative of a barely embarrassing 40%. End: medium, meaty, with prunes, currants and umami. Feedback: what a spirit! It jogs my memory of some outdated Macallans, or of an exquisite Porsche with the smallest engine they have been having. Yeah and sob. Severely, this at 46 or 50% vol. would have made for among the finest brown spirits on the earth. Beautiful and irritating.
SGP:462 – 88 factors. |
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A final one for la route…
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Baron de Lustrac 1975 (40%, OB, Bas-armagnac, +/-2020) 
I do not know precisely why, this bottle is to be discovered simply all over the place on the Zweb. It appears that evidently it’s a model that is quite geared for export and it additionally appears that’s was significantly large in, ach, err, Russia. Keep in mind our former nice associates R.u.s.s.i.a.? Color: golden amber. Nostril: all fruity easiness, stewed apples and peaches, whiffs of pine resin and needles, cherry liqueur, sultanas, extra cherries but… Mouth: the 40% really feel, it’s a little skinny and dry, however the core stays fantastic, if a bit leafy and peely. however lightish armagnac, I’d say. Ripe apples, peaches and pears. End: quick, skinny, tea-ish. Go… Espresso within the aftertaste. Feedback: actually a great one, good to sip after a heavyish meal, however I’d say it is missing substance. Plus, the end was clearly too dry and drying.
SGP:341 – 77 factors. |
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