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Grape of the Art

Armagnac Fontan 1996

Introducing Grape of the Art Fontan 1996 by Noir Cinema: an ode to French film's golden age. From Paris's heart, a crafty thief has taken a coveted 26-year-old Ugni-Blanc Bas-Armagnac from the Louvre's depths. Now hidden in Montmartre, he leaves only a captivating scent trail: candied oranges, floral notes, coconuts, and wine gum. Once unveiled, relish the flavors of lush Gascogne fruits, raspberry hints, and a robust 55.1% abv finish. Dive into the legacy.

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$ 113

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Grape of the Art Fontan 1996

Category: Armagnac (Bas-Armagnac)

Producer: Fontan

Age: 1996 Vintage - 26 Years Old

ABV: 55.1 % - Cask Strength

Grape variety: Ugni Blanc

Distillateur: Cironie

Cellar climate: dry cellar

What?

Grape of the Art Fontan 1996 Bas-Armagnac

Cask #B116, 26 years old, dry cellar, 55.1% abv cask strength, ugni blanc

Who?

Grape of the Art - who needs no introduction.

Maison Fontan is an Armagnac producer based in the Gers region of France, where the Fontan siblings, Nadège and Sylvain, blend tradition and terroir to create their esteemed eau de vie. The winery dedicates itself to the production of Cotes de Gascogne wines and Armagnac, following ancient Roman customs by distilling a portion of their Ugni blanc wine harvest. This distillation occurs in a traditional copper Armagnacais still, yielding an exceptionally aromatic spirit. After distillation, the eau de vie is transferred to Gascogne oak barrels, where it begins its transformation into Armagnac, acquiring complexity, color, and character over many years.

The Fontans' approach to Armagnac production is meticulous and patient. The oak barrels used are sourced from Bartholomo, a local cooper who ensures a consistent quality and barrel chauffe, influencing the spirit's breathability and tannin profile through medium to large grain wood. In the shadowed quiet of their cellars, Sylvain carefully monitors the aging process—gauging tannin development, the angel's share evaporation, and the emergence of the coveted rancio flavor. This dedicated stewardship over the years is what allows Maison Fontan to produce Armagnacs of exceptional taste and quality.

Where?

Bas-Armagnac, lieu dit “Maubet”

How?

This 1996 Bas-Armagnac is made from 100% Ugni Blanc grapes, the grape variety favored by Fontan. Immediately after distillation, the spirit dripped off the still between 52% and 60% alcohol, from which point it began its slow aging process until seeing the light of day with this Grape of the Art bottling. The casks employed come from Batholomo and have a larger grain.

The Armagnac aged for 26 years in one of the domaine’s dry cellars. Like all bottlings from Grape of the Art, it is bottled at its natural cask strength 55.1%. It goes without saying, there are no additives whatsoever.

The aromas are explosive and loaded with all sorts of fruits - candied and fresh. It is inviting, delicious smelling and is generally met with an audible sigh upon first nosing. If the nose pulls you in, the palate arrests you with its intensity and power. Balance is preserved though, and the various fruits support the character of the spirit.

What?

Grape of the Art Fontan 1996 Bas-Armagnac

Cask #B116, 26 years old, dry cellar, 55.1% abv cask strength, ugni blanc

Who?

Grape of the Art - who needs no introduction.

Where?

Bas-Armagnac, lieu dit “Maubet”

How?

Reason for choosing

Do we really still need to give a reason for choosing Grape of the Art Armagnacs? Kidding aside, we were drawn to the intensely fruity aromatic profile, and the alliance between the power and balance of the spirit.

Nose

Sweet, tangy candied orange
Bright evocative raspberries
Gascogne dried fruits
Rich complexity of fine and fragrant woods

Palate

Raspberries front and center
Bold, thick, balanced profile
Powerful spirit
Heavy body
Long, dry, satisfying finish

Nose
Sweet, tangy candied orange
Bright evocative raspberries
Gascogne dried fruits
Rich complexity of fine and fragrant woods

Palate
Raspberries front and center
Bold, thick, balanced profile
Powerful spirit
Heavy body
Long, dry, satisfying finish

Fun Fact

The local economy in the Gers revolves around agriculture and various culinary treasures: Armagnac (of course), Cotes de Gascogne wines, Floc de Gascogne, Foie Gras, Duck, and wild mushrooms

Robert, Oliver, Sascha, Christian and Leonard - the 5 friends behind Grape of the Art

About Grape of the Art

An independent bottler specializing in Armagnac and Cognac single casks, Grape of Art are made up of five partners: Oliver Gerhardt, Christian Maier, Leonard Stumpf, Sascha Junkert, and Robert Bauer.

The concept of Grape of the Art was born during a blind tasting of their rum and whiskey group in Stuttgart, Germany, where they were amazed by the excellence and diversity of Armagnac. So Grape of the Art began tasting an Armagnac and their first release, “Domaine Le Frêche,” was a 13-year-old Armagnac. After the Stuttgart tasting, they dove into the world of brandy and found that there were few bottlings on the German market that met their expectations of unadulterated, undiluted single barrels.

Their curiosity and exploration eventually led them to the region of Armagnac & Cognac, where they were fortunate to meet remarkable people who gave them the opportunity to taste their distillates directly from the barrel. We work closely with GotA and we are happy to introduce the bottles to an international audience. With a commitment to selecting state of the art barrels being a first priority – dressing the bottles with a fresh and modern image is also a key focus in making the Grape of Art collection stand out. In doing so, the team works closely with their designer, Theresa, putting creative time and energy into making fun bottles and fine-tuned labels.

The Art of Tasting

Upon meeting with many welcoming producers of the Cognac and Armagnac regions, they were able to enter the warehouses and taste the distillates straight from the cask.

Bringing individual strengths and skills to the project, they make up a coherent and mutually complementary team, which despite having different tastes and spirit focuses, almost always have the same favorites in a blind tasting.

When it comes to shortlisting a barrel however, as a general rule, at least 4 out of 5 of the group must be enthusiastic about what they are tasting in order for the Grape of Art promise of quality to be ensured. After exploring the barrel cellars and leaving the site at the producer’s, the five take samples of the best barrels home. At home, these are then divided up and each team member tastes them again blindly and impartially, together with reference bottlings for themselves.

Then, in the final round of the tasting, the five come together to taste them again and make the final decision. With this approach, the warehouse emotions and the influence of age, brand or alcohol strength move into the background and objectivity increases. And while each member of the team takes different responsibilities when it comes to barrel selection and label artwork, they always make the final decision together.

So with such a rigorous tasting process, guaranteeing fine quality selections and with a fresh new aesthetic giving spirits that are steeped in tradition a contemporary twist – what more could be asked of an independent bottler?