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Bonjour Grape of the Art
Grape of the Art
Armagnac Danis 1988
As winter's icy grip takes hold, let the Grape of the Art take you away with a single sip of Armagnac Danis 1988. This golden saint of a spirit is creamy and full of sweetness - beeswax, acacia honey and vanilla - and hints of ripe apricots and mirabelles, heralding the arrival of spring. After 33 years in a wet cellar, the sweetness is balanced with a gentle chocolate bitterness, and a cask strength of 47.9% ABV offers plenty of room to explore.
Release date: March 30, 8:00 pm French time
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Category: Armagnac
Distilled in: 1988
Age: 33 Years Old
Grape variety: 100% Folle Blanche
Bottle Size: 70 cl
ABV: 47.9 % - Cask Strength
Sold out. Sorry, you missed it.
What?
Grape of the Art Hontambère 1985, Armagnac, 36 Years, 56.6%
Who?
Grape of the Art is on fire! They are arguably one of the spirits world’s hottest bottlers right now. Domaine Hontambère, however, is the Armagnac producer with whom they collaborated and from whose stock they made this captivating Armagnac selection.
To be clear, Domaine Hontambère is a producer of Armagnac itself, run by Sylvain Lafargue and Cindy Crighton. They grow all the typical Armagnac grape varieties, distill with a 100 year old column still, and always adhere to the philosophy - straight from the barrel, no additives, no colorants. But Hontambère also purchases old and rare barrels from the region’s small grower-producers, such as the Domaine Pouchégu situated in the Ténarèze region of the Gers department. Domaine Pouchégu had been producing Armagnac from 1863 to 2014, until its master distiller Pierre Laporte fell seriously ill. From the incredibly old Pouchégu stock, comes this intriguing 1985 cask - patiently rested in Hontambère’s cellars and now seeing the light of day with this Grape of the Art Hontambère edition.
Upon smelling, tasting, and being drawn into the aura of this haunting 1985 cask, the noses at Grape of the Art knew it needed to be bottled.
It is worth noting that Hontambère derives from the old Gascon language “the most beautiful well” which refers to a centuries-old well situated in the middle of the Chateau de Hontambère.
Where?
Armagnac (Ténarèze)
How?
This 1985 Armagnac is a blend of Baco and Ugni Blanc, as those were the grape varieties grown on the Pouchégu estate in their active years of production. The casks favored were made of new Limousin oak, with its coarser grain. Overall, the profile of Pouchégu Armagnacs is said to be highly complex, sophisticated, full-bodied, powerful, oily, and with a strong signature from the barrel - and this is certainly the case with the Grape of the Art Hontambère edition.
The Armagnac aged for thirty-six years in a dark humid cellar. It is bottled at a robust 56.6% ABV, which provides a strong but pleasant kick, yet remains perfect for sipping neat.
The potion-like aromas that waft out of the glass have rich notes of dark cherries, vanilla, molasses, and glue. Enthusiasts that like to chew on their spirits will be left wanting for nothing! Attention all you fans of rich aged bourbons and tropically aged demerara rums!
What?
Grape of the Art Hontambère 1985, Armagnac, 36 Years, 56.6%
Who?
Grape of the Art is on fire! They are arguably one of the spirits world’s hottest bottlers right now. Domaine Hontambère, however, is the Armagnac producer with whom they collaborated and from whose stock they made this captivating Armagnac selection.
To be clear, Domaine Hontambère is a producer of Armagnac itself, run by Sylvain Lafargue and Cindy Crighton. They grow all the typical Armagnac grape varieties, distill with a 100 year old column still, and always adhere to the philosophy - straight from the barrel, no additives, no colorants. But Hontambère also purchases old and rare barrels from the region’s small grower-producers, such as the Domaine Pouchégu situated in the Ténarèze region of the Gers department. Domaine Pouchégu had been producing Armagnac from 1863 to 2014, until its master distiller Pierre Laporte fell seriously ill. From the incredibly old Pouchégu stock, comes this intriguing 1985 cask - patiently rested in Hontambère’s cellars and now seeing the light of day with this Grape of the Art Hontambère edition.
Upon smelling, tasting, and being drawn into the aura of this haunting 1985 cask, the noses at Grape of the Art knew it needed to be bottled.
It is worth noting that Hontambère derives from the old Gascon language “the most beautiful well” which refers to a centuries-old well situated in the middle of the Chateau de Hontambère.
Where?
Armagnac (Ténazère)
How?
This 1985 Armagnac is a blend of Baco and Ugni Blanc, as those were the grape varieties grown on the Pouchégu estate in their active years of production. The casks favored were made of new Limousin oak, with its coarser grain. Overall, the profile of Pouchégu Armagnacs is said to be highly complex, sophisticated, full-bodied, powerful, oily, and with a strong signature from the barrel - and this is certainly the case with the Grape of the Art Hontambère edition.
The Armagnac aged for thirty-six years in a dark humid cellar. It is bottled at a robust 56.6% ABV, which provides a strong but pleasant kick, yet remains perfect for sipping neat.
The potion-like aromas that waft out of the glass have rich notes of dark cherries, vanilla, molasses, and glue. Enthusiasts that like to chew on their spirits will be left wanting for nothing! Attention all you fans of rich aged bourbons and tropically aged demerara rums!
Reason for choosing
For its mystical, potion-like qualities. And while firmly an Armagnac, goes toe-to-toe with the richest bourbons and demerara rums!
Nose
An immediately inviting nose, powerful yet comfortable. Fruits are on black cherries in syrup, fig paste, stewed red apple. Warming spices like cinnamon and clove. Medium to dark honey. Vanilla. And a fragrant, toasty, chocolatey wood note. The wood notes carry a somewhat smoky quality. Lots happening. Seductive!
Palate
No surprises: syrupy black cherries, fig paste, sweet red apple, date, resiny honeys, cinnamon and clove. Chocolate notes are present along with roasty wood notes. The fruit, spice, and wood notes are nicely married. Cohesive, no odd edges. Despite the strength, the alcohol is well managed. Coating oily texture. Rich and intense. Slightly tea-like bitter note on finish. Very humid cellar in flavor profile! Tremendous!
Nose: An immediately inviting nose, powerful yet comfortable. Fruits are on black cherries in syrup, fig paste, stewed red apple. Warming spices like cinnamon and clove. Medium to dark honey. Vanilla. And a fragrant, toasty, chocolatey wood note. The wood notes carry a somewhat smoky quality. Lots happening. Seductive!
Palate: No surprises: syrupy black cherries, fig paste, sweet red apple, date, resiny honeys, cinnamon and clove. Chocolate notes are present along with roasty wood notes. The fruit, spice, and wood notes are nicely married. Cohesive, no odd edges. Despite the strength, the alcohol is well managed. Coating oily texture. Rich and intense. Slightly tea-like bitter note on finish. Very humid cellar in flavor profile! Tremendous!
Fun Fact
Gascon cuisine is known to be a pillar of French cuisine. It’s rich French comfort food without equal!
Some closing words
This limited release is sure to be sought after by the most demanding connoisseurs, so do not miss your chance to get your hands on a piece of history. This Armagnac provides a chance to continue the legacy of the alchemist of Hontambère and experience the magical tastes captured in bottle. This special release is extremely limited in quantity, so be sure to act fast when it becomes available on February 2. You will be rewarded with a unique potion that has been crafted to perfection, promising an unforgettable tasting experience. Don’t miss this unique opportunity, act now…
About Domaine de Danis
Victoire and Vincent Piquemal are the proprietors of Domaine de Danis in Gascony, a winery that specializes in white Côtes de Gascogne wines, with a small portion dedicated to Armagnac production. Victoire has a fondness for the Folle Blanche grape, which means that all available vintages since 1982 have been made with this variety. Older vintages are a blend of Baco and Ugni Blanc. Victoire and Vincent’s parents, Victor and Aline, released their first own bottling in 1986, while Victoire’s grandfather also produced Armagnac, though not under the same Domaine de Danis label.
The grape juice is pressed and then fermented without filtration for 8 to 10 days, to reach an alcohol content of 9-10%. Since the winery does not possess its own distillation apparatus, they work with Marc Saint Martin and his mobile alambic, which he brings to the domaine on a tractor trailer. The Alambic Armagnacais is fired with wood and the Eau de Vie produced has an alcohol content of 52-54%.
To age the Armagnac, Domaine Danis has two cellars, a wet and a dry one; with around 120 barrels in total. The high humidity in the wet cellars helps with natural alcohol reduction, without any dilution. The Angels Share is 2-3% each year. The Armagnac is aged for at least a year in new barrels made by Bartholomo in Le Freche; then transferred to used barrels to control the maturation allowing only a small micro-oxygenation. Some of the barrels used are up to 45 years old. Victoire works with two sizes of barrels: Pièce (420 liters) and Tonneau (10,000 liters). All Armagnac produced is bottled at cask strength, without any additives.
Reviews (4)
A Grown-Up Cognac
by Todd C.
13 Mar 2023
As a fan of cask strength spirits this did not disappoint. a complex nose, of raisins and apricot. A very unique mouth feel, some what oily with a long finish. This has a nice complex flavor with roundness of an aged cognac. The ABV really shines through and lets you know it is not your average c...
Read more
Grape of the Art J.-L. Pasquet Lot 79 Cognac Grande Champagne
by Wolfgang S.
6 Jan 2023
Deep golden colour. On the nose sweet waxes, honey, figs, oranges, yellow plums and some blond tobacco - fine and complex, but needs time. Despite of the high alcohol very drinkable with lots of yellow fruits, oranges, wax, liquorice and quinces - opens up with a little bit of water. The finish...
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Blood oranges are signing peace in the aftertaste
by Serge Valentin
28 Nov 2022
Pure ugni blanc, Limousin oak, humid cellar, stunning albeit a little artsy label, and cool folks at all stages. What else does the people want? (Please don't answer 'ask French unions'). Colour: deep gold. Nose: sublime, beehive-y, very narrow and very complex at the same time. Fab figs, fab raisins,...
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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?
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