Baco 22A, also known as Baco blanc, is one of just a handful of hybrid grape varieties whose cultivation to produce spirts is still allowed under EU regulations. During the 20th century, Baco was the principal grape variety used to make Armagnac. Château de Laubade, XO, Bas Armagnac, 40% ABV, 750 ml offers up intense notes of orange peel/marmalade, peach, apricot, toasted bread, dried and fresh herbs, and dried fruit, along with notes of cinnamon, chili pepper, other wood spices and a touch of savoriness. This is a smooth, full-bodied, mouth coating Armagnac blended from brandies 15 to 25 years old.

Cles Des Ducs XO | Virgin Wines Cles Des Ducs XO | Virgin Wines

Armagnac vines grow in fine quartz sands, continental and riverbed sediments and siliceous clay. This terroir is divided into 3 crus: kilometres from Cognac, visit the Cognac ecomuseum located on the Domaine de Tesseron. It presents the Tesseron family history and heritage through its Winemaker-Distiller Museum as well as the world of Cognac in a fun-filled, poetic way. The wines are distilled in a traditional armagnac alambic fired with wood from recycled vine stakes. The 100-year-old cellars quietly safeguard the barrels during maturation. Each grape variety and each vintage are distilled and aged separately for the first years. After several years of ageing in fine grain oak barrels from the most renowned French forests, these eaux-de-vie become Bas-Armagnacs of great finesse and rare elegance.Armagnac-Tenareze represent about 40% of the producing vineyards. Soils here are mainly limestone, sand and clay. These soils produce Armagnacs that are strongly flavored and also slower to mature. Fins Bois is located on the periphery of the three aforementioned areas. It is here that the majority of the wines are produced (42%). Armagnac shares with Cognac a similar classification scheme. Historically, the two were not aligned, but in recent years have adopted similar parameters. VS refers to Armagnacs that have been aged in oak casks for two to three years, while VSOP refers to Armagnac that has been aged for four to five years in oak casks. Note that the minimum aging requirement refers to the youngest component of the blend. Both VS and VSOP Armagnacs can contain spirit older than the minimum aging period. The Colombard expression, for example, offers up an intense, complex nose of candied fruits, along with spice notes of pepper and cinnamon and pronounced vanilla notes. The Folle blanche expression, on the other hand, is more floral accompanied by notes of milk chocolate. Both expressions feature notes of fresh tropical fruits.

Armagnac Janneau X.O. : a wonderful blend of many medals

Darroze has had multiple bottlings over the last decade so the bottle you find may be anywhere from 48 YO to 55 YO. From a practical matter there is not much difference between a 48 YO and a 55 YO Armagnac, what differences there are will be very subtle. Although Armagnac is, without any doubt, the oldest eau-de-vie of France, its younger sibling, Cognac, is more popular outside the national territory. These two grape-based eaux-de-vie are similar in many respects yet each has its own identity.The Cognac and Armagnac terroirs, both in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, are located some 300 km from each other; which means differences in the soil. The use of Charentais stills has been legal in Armagnac since 1972. Only a handful of producers use them, however. Janneau, one of the larger Armagnac producers, uses both types of stills. Since double distilled brandy from a Charentais-type still ages faster than brandy from a single column distillation, the two spirits are often blended together. We received a smattering of Laubade releases, including two of its classics and various special editions. Let’s dig in. Haut-Armagnac or White Armagnac is characterized by soils which are predominantly limestone except along its southern part where soils are siliceous clay “boulbènes” (bolbena in Occitan).

Armagnac’s For Brandy Lovers Everywhere 7 Stunning Armagnac’s For Brandy Lovers Everywhere

Made in no rush with only quality in mind, aged gradually in fine French oak barrels to develop complexity and fineness In her restaurant ont he rue d'Assas with the Armagnac collection of the family. The oldest bottles ... [+] are at least 100 years old. A unique collection. (Photo by Xavier ROSSI/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images) Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images International Spirits Challenge 2020, UK: Domaine Tariquet has been designated Armagnac Producer of the year 2020. FAMILY HISTORY

This is a very aromatic Armagnac with notes of dried figs, plums, raisins, dried orange zest and prune, along with toasted nuts, caramel, cinnamon and chocolate. There is a bit of a vegetative note, think cooked green bean or cooked cabbage. This is not unusual in Armagnac and is usually associated with Colombard grapes. The greater the proportion of Colombard, the more pronounced the vegetative notes usually are. Armin and Rémy Grassa share the same pleasure of innovating and have created over the last two years new wines such as Amplitude, a dry Gros Manseng, and Entracte, their first sparkling white wine.

Armagnac de Montal XO : The Whisky Exchange

This year, the Grassa family is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its partnership with Waitrose with its Bas-Armagnac XO. Its most famous descendent is Pierre de Montesquiou d'Artagnan, a musketeer who served Louis XIV for more than 40 years and was eventually made a Marshall of France. French novelist Alexander Dumas used him as the basis of the like-named character in The Three Musketeers. In Armagnac, we also find Folle Blanche (2%) which produces fine, floral eaux-de-vie, Colombard with fruity, spicy aromas enjoyed in blends, Baco (hybrid of Folle Blanche and the American Noah) which produces well-rounded eaux-de-vie with a ripe fruity aroma (35%).In Cognac 97% of the grape variety used is Ugni-Blanc which produces fine, high-quality eaux-de-vie. It is also used in Armagnac (55%). The Baron de Lustrac is incredibly smooth and satiny. Extremely flavorful and complex it represents an exceptional value for an ultra-aged Armagnac. The base wine of Armagnac is typically distilled on the fine lees. This is a common practice in Cognac; it’s used by major producers like Remy, Hine, Camus and Frapin. The Château de Lacquy, 2007 Colombard, 48% ABV is a single barrel bottling made entirely from Colombard grapes. There is also a Château de Lacquy 2007 Folle blanche, 48% ABV. The expressions don’t carry an age statement but are typically around 12 YO. They are bottled at cask strength. The Château’s bottlings offer an excellent opportunity to compare vintage variations as well as the varying aroma and taste profile in Armagnacs produced from different grape varietals. Armin said: “Amplitude is a surprising, unusual dry white wine, with beautiful tension and ample on the palate. It’s produced from Gros Manseng, an indigenous variety. Entracte is a blend of Chenin and Chardonnay for which the second fermentation takes place in a closed vat. We wanted to produce a sparkling white wine which would offer light, refreshing and very delicate bubbles. The alcohol level also had to be low; the 2018 vintage is only 10.5%, like Domaine Tariquet Classic”.