Just over one year ago now, we began falling for the charms of Armagnac.
Nothing will ever replace our profound love of Cognac - the spirit, the region, and its producers - but there is plenty of room in our hearts for Armagnac. And since we take seriously our mission to share our discoveries with our dear customers, we have put together an Armagnac Wrap Up, recapping our first year seriously giving Armagnac the time and careful consideration it deserves.
Small is beautiful, and so using that logic, everything is beautiful in Armagnac - it really is! See below some of our Armagnac highlights (in no order of importance)
We spent a small chunk of time on the ground in the region getting to know the lay of the land and, most importantly, some of its small producers. There were many visits that week but two highlights were:
Lassalle Baqué, today run by the talented Remi Brocardo, is a young producer but one already delivering top notch Armagnacs. We regard Remi as a distillation encyclopedia as he is one of the region's travelling distillers, moving from one producer to another, bringing along a mobile column still to perform the distillation duties. All of his Armagnacs, from the VSOP through to the exceedingly mature 1964 are spirits of balance and character. And we are even starting to see some wonderful Cask Strength bottlings see the light of day. This is a house and name not to forget. Enjoy...we sure do!
Domaine de Danis, led by the dynamic and reflective Victoire Piquemal, is a charming estate that showcases everything that we love about the Folle Blanche grape variety. Since 1982 only Folle Blanche has been distilled, before then not so. The moment we set foot on the property, a sense of tranquility enveloped us. With each smell and sip of these immensely elegant Armagnacs, we see a different facet of Armagnac, one that is loaded with charm, finesse, and sincerity. All of these Armagnacs are lightyears away from heavy oak-driven Armagnacs. These are modern Armagnacs by one of the region's great thinkers and producers. We're thrilled!
While there are no regional locomotives like the Big Four in Cognac, there are nonetheless some iconic negociant and negociant eleveur houses that shine the light of Armagnac and that have managed to earn a place in the hearts of spirits lovers around the world.
One of Armagnac hottest up and coming houses. And what’s fascinating is one can access official bottlings from Chateau de Hontambere and independent bottlings from the crew at Grape of the Art. Both are equally deserving a spot in your glass. This is high voltage, top class, Armagnac.
Limited stock
Palate: An immediate strong sweetness from the raisins first, followed by the rich flavors of dark chocolate and mocha. The taste of cherry and strawberry jam adds a fruity touch to the overall flavor, making it feel full and satisfying.
Imagine this: A unique exchange between a Cognac producer and an Armagnac producer, where they traded samples and smelled, tasted, and discussed each other’s spirits. This encounter recently unfolded between esteemed producers Cognac Pasquet and Armagnac L’Encantada. Vincent Cornu from L’Encantada paid a visit to Jean and Amy Pasquet in Eraville. With bottles swapped, they poured glasses for one another. Each producer brought their distinct perspective and expertise to the tasting, resulting in a truly enriching and enjoyable moment. During this rendezvous, Vincent tasted the latest Pasquet L’Organic Folle Blanche L.X.III Cognac (rumored to be the finest edition yet of the Folle Blanche LXIII). Meanwhile, Jean sampled the L’Encantada Domaine Cutxan 1997 Armagnac (crafted from 100% Baco grapes).
A producer we have proudly worked with for a handful of years, but when we finally got down for a visit, this was the one domaine that literally made our jaws drop. Seriously! And easily some of the nicest people and most authentic Armagnacs you can find.
