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| Hello, that is certainly one of our (nearly) day by day tastings. Santé! |
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August 21, 2022
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Horrible 12 months within the vineyards in Armagnac, particularly in Bas-Armagnac and Ténarèze, with huge hailstorms main to very large losses proper this week. It’s essential to have a powerful abdomen to take care of such occasions whereas figuring out that folks making whisky, apart from a handful of real terroirists (however watch out for terroir washing elsewhere!) can import barley from everywhere in the world after which promote their bottles for thrice the value, or generally thirty instances when the spirits are actually previous and also you personal a powerful – generally severely bloated – model. I am afraid that is simply very unfair and exhausting to grasp, until you keep in mind Coluche’s method of calculating a crowd’s IQ: take the IQ of the dumbest and divide by the variety of members. So I say let’s all get smarter, get up, and assist (learn drink) armagnac!
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{Photograph} armagnacnews |
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The Experiment 10 yo 2009/2019 (50%, Domaine de Baraillon & The Whisky Mercenary, 179 bottles) 
That is eau-de-vie à l’armagnac moderately than armagnac, since this child’s been completed in an ex-Jamaican rum barrel. Think about all Scotch malts shedding their appellation after having been completed in some ‘untraditional’ wooden? Color: deep gold. Nostril: you do really feel it. A pack of chlorophyll and eucalyptus gums, some raisins smoked over burning pinewood, a bit of diesel oil, then a great deal of mint-flavoured liquorice, a curious mezcaly facet, after which, effectively, Jäger. An experiment that labored, it appears. With water: very good, on extra of all that and a wee candy rancio within the background. Mouth (neat): actually wealthy, on violet-flavoured liquorice (that is so good, Haribo now have that of their vary referred to as ‘Zan’) and as soon as once more, some type of heavy natural bitter. The standard raisins and dried apricots moderately within the background. With water: certainly, wonderful, that is really ‘meta’. End: lengthy, with a salty contact and olives coming via. The aftertaste is extra armagnacqy once more. Feedback: who’s gonna name these ‘armarums?’ Now I am unsure it’s extremely straightforward to discover a steadiness and as soon as it is wrecked, it is wrecked, until you additional dilute it with extra brandy. I say that is innovation that is not simply doing the identical improvements as anybody else and proper on the similar time. Mizunara anybody?
SGP:562 – 87 factors. |
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Darroze Domaine de Paguy 19 yo 2002 (50%, Darroze, Distinctive Assortment, Bas-armagnac, +/-2021)
Darroze have chosen this one in Betbezer d’Armagnac, the place Domaine de Paguy is situated. Paguy personal 77ha (however solely 12ha are vines), we hope they weren’t affected by the hailstorms, their vines being 45 years previous! Color: gold. Nostril: this additional stresses to which extent the armarum was completely different and really one thing else. That is a lot leaner, purer, actually good-looking, and nearer to the grape, let’s say. Whiffs of vanilla, in any other case golden sultanas, preserved peaches, bits of pencil shavings, lime blossom, honeysuckle, tiny hints of Thai basil maybe… With water: touches of menthol and liquorice, plus extra lime blossom. All tremendous and good. Mouth (neat): excellent, with a bit of brown sugar, jams, maple syrup, marmalade, and a tiny glass of moscatel. With water: we’re not that removed from some malt whiskies, though this might be a bit of grapier and grittier, naturally. End: medium, moderately recent, with these touches of menthol and lime blossom in the long run. Feedback: by no means upset with Darroze, in my e book they’re a part of the highest homes so far as bigger ones are involved.
SGP:651 – 86 factors. |
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Domaine de Bel Air 1980/2022 (46%, Bordeneuve Châteaux & Assortment for Selin’s Assortment, Asia, Bas-armagnac, 100 bottles) 
Domaine de Bel Air is often to be discovered beneath Darroze’s flag, however there are dozens of Domaines or Châteaux de Bel Air or Bel-Air or Belair in every single place in France, essentially the most well-known one being the Saint-Emilion, I’d say. Are there a number of in Armagnac alone? Color: brown am
ber. Nostril: this can be a utterly completely different type of Armagnac, and I doubt that is solely the age. Extra on chocolate, prunes, flower jellies, damson tarte (zwetschke), peonies, then even notes of previous pinot noir of top of the range. We’re considering one thing smooth from the Côte de Beaune, with softer meaty/umami-y notes. Very beautiful, moderately postprandial type. Mouth: rounded, compoty, jammy, candy, stuffed with ganaches, sweets and prunes. Jogs my memory of Austria’s ‘Rumba Pflaume’ (prunes) by the home Kastner, our pricey pal Konstantin G. being the world’s prime knowledgeable in these. You’ll be able to’t get sufficient of those Rumba Pflaumen… neither are you able to get sufficient of this awesomely unmodern Domaine de Bel Air. End: good size, at a energy that all the time works finest for those who’re not a pipette grasp. Extra of these Austrian plums with liqueur, coated with darkish chocolate Feedback: you might down bottles of this however they’ve solely launched 100 of them.
SGP:641 – 89 factors. |
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Domaine Le Frêche 1980 (41.5%, L’Encantada, Bas-armagnac, cask #039, 327 bottles)
Pure baco from a tiny Domaine of solely 2ha. Sadly and until I am mistaken, it seems that the Domaine is now gone. Color: reddish amber. Nostril: rather more rustic, but extra trendy as effectively, in a method, with some cedarwood and even whiffs of recent varnish and paint at first sniffing, earlier than it will transfer in direction of chestnut jam and purée, peaches, a bit of caraway, recent cinnamon rolls, Bundt cake stuffed with sultanas, and simply candy wine… Mouth: feels a lot stronger than 41.5%, does it have superpowers, or was there a mismatch? It even burns a wee bit. Nurse, pipette and Vittel please… With water: feels ‘darkish’, with some pipe tobacco, little bit of tobacco from an untipped Gauloise, prunes, chocolate, armagnac (I do know it sounds nearly silly to say armagnac in a tasting word for an armagnac, however there, it is epitomically armagnacqy.) Tiny touches of bitter wooden, Jerez vinegar and bitter chocolate. End: moderately lengthy, fairly oaky. Floor espresso and uncooked cocoa powder. Feedback: tremendous good, fairly dry, and as I already mentioned, comparatively rustic. Come on pricey, put in your beret!
SGP:551 – 86 factors. |
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Château de Laubade 1979/2021 ‘Brut de Fût’ (46.2%, OB, Bas-armagnac, cask #75096) 
From Chai #3 and from the primary tirage kind this barrique. It is a mix of baco and ugni blanc. By no means a frown with these cask energy armagnacs from Laubade’s! Color: deep gold. Nostril: this one’s very brilliant, very recent, floral, honeyed, jammy, stuffed with mirabelles and quince jelly, honeysuckle, maple syrup, late-harvest pinot gris, apricot jam… It is a Balvenie of armagnac, we could fearlessly declare. Mouth: superlatively fruity and floral. All yellow fruits ever invented by God (OMG, S., not you!), mirabelles, apricots, peaches, quinces, overripe bananas, with tiny touches of caraway and cinnamon. A really great tirage (they’re speaking about tirages as a result of they usually rack their casks in a number of instances down there in Armagnac nation). End: good size, good freshness, beautiful fruitiness, with the same old bits of liquorice within the aftertaste. Feedback: certainly, by no means a frown with golden… Laubades.
SGP:651 – 90 factors. |
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Armagnac 49 yo 1972/2022 (42.9%, Armagnac Sponge, Version No. 2, Bas-armagnac, 210 bottles)
Any attentive spirits sleuth can have seen that this was produced within the metropolis of Saintes (the place everybody is not a saint, ha-ha) which is without doubt one of the capital cities of cognac, not armagnac. Which might recommend this stems from the home Jean Grosperrin’s cellars. Oh and it is a ‘small batch’ of two sister casks. Color: amber. Nostril: 1972, that was the 12 months earlier than final 12 months, proper? Significantly, I’d say that is an previous armagnac that is been watching all of the neighbouring cognacs whereas ageing, as I discover it moderately more energizing, fruitier, considerably simpler, moderately on tinned fruits, particularly the same old peaches and apricots, additionally plums, greengages, then acacia honey, raisin rolls, panettone… We’re truly getting nearer to a basic, straightforward previous malt whisky. Mouth: jogs my memory of many an previous drop as Duncan Taylor used to have, Glenlivets, Macduffs, even Sixties Bowmore thoughts you. To be poured blind to your finest (ex) whisky mates. End: medium, recent, beehive-y, with extra cedarwood-like oak solely within the aftertaste. Additionally a wee glass of a number of the most venerable V.O.R.S. in the long run of the aftertaste (simply earlier than you pour your self one other glass). Feedback: wonderful catch by Angus and, as soon as once more, a showcase of the truth that, as has additionally been seen for instance at Cadenhead’s, true small batches are sometimes superior to single casks. Je m’incline.
SGP:651 – 91 factors. |
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A final one, let’s make it a 1970.
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Ryst-Dupeyron 1970 (40%, OB, Armagnac, +/-2015) 
Not not like many different previous Armagnac homes, Dupeyron have lengthy tried to take benefit from the truth that they may launch bottles bearing vintages, whereas Cognac couldn’t, for administrative causes, whereas vintaged malt whisky was simply unknown to the French. Which implies that these armagnacs have been nearly solely ever purchased as birthday presents, BUT many have been, and nonetheless are wonderful, so by no means underestimate them. Color: deep gold. Nostril: 1970 means rock and roll, however that is extra a string quartet, with a number of chamomile, lime tea (big lime tea!) and simply ‘a brand new pack of Camels’. Fairly some previous walnuts too, previous woods, and an entire bag of correct ‘cider’ apples. Not these apples from the grocery store that appear to be they’re in plastic, thoughts you. Mouth: the oak feels a bit of bit and would impart some moderately apparent tea-ish notes at first, however some puréed chestnuts and baked caramelised apples are quickly to return to the rescue. Somewhat honey, a bit of cinnamon, pastries, and a sense of excellent calvados. End: medium, a bit of tea-ish and with a bit of cider. Maple syrup within the aftertaste. Feedback: maybe not precisely earthshattering – this little 1970 is neither of Jimi nor of Janis ranges – however I discover it very nice to drink.
SGP:561 – 82 factors. |
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