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Grape of the Art

Armagnac Seailles 2004

The Grape of the Art 2004 Armagnac comes from the dry cellar from Domaine Séailles in the Ténarèze Armagnac production appellation. It is 100% Ugni Blanc and bottled at its cask strength of 53.9% alcohol. It is of course bottled at its natural color and contains no other additives whatsoever. What you’ll find in the glass is what we think is GotA’s signature style: rich, decadent, uber-complex Armagnac with distinct rum notes.

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Category: Armagnac

Producer: Seailles

Age: 2004 Vintage

ABV: 53.9 % - Cask Strength

Grape variety: 100% Ugni Blanc. 100% Organic

Still type: Alambic Armagnacais

Distillateur: Jean Labérenne

Cellar climate: Dry

Bottle Size: 70 cl

What?

Grape of the Art Séailles 2004, Armagnac Ténarèze, 18 Years, 53.9%, Cask #54

Who?

Established in 1961, Domaine Séailles is a family-owned vineyard nestled in Mouchan, at the heart of Gascony. This vineyard, located in the Ténarèze region of Armagnac, has over time built a strong standing for its production of premium, aged Armagnacs. They hold a particular passion for allowing their Armagnacs the necessary aging time before they bottle and market them.

Domaine Séailles is a trailblazer for organic viticulture within the region. From 1998, the vineyard made a commitment to cease the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, insecticides, and synthetic substances. This commitment allows for a full, unadulterated expression of their grape varieties. Even just observing the domaine’s vineyard plots alongside their neighbor’s vineyard plots, one can see a world of difference in just how the organically raised vines look: tons of vegetation, seemingly very healthy soil, and increased biodiversity. It really is a sight to see. The vineyard's adherence to organic farming practices has been validated by Ecocert, and since 2002, all the Armagnacs produced by Domaine Séailles have been certified as organic.

Since 2009 Julien Franclet is at the helm overseeing all work in the vineyard, during distillation, and in the cellar. He has a keen awareness of what’s going on both in the vines and in the cellar, and is really bottling some fantastic Armagnacs, notably this ripping Grape of the Art Séailles 2004.

Where?

Armagnac Ténarèze - Mouchan, France

How?

The vineyard sections sit high up on hillsides, an ideal location because of the special geology. The soil is a mix of fine clay-limestone and gravel, and it faces east and south. This setting gets a lot of sunlight, which is great for growing grapes. Ugni Blanc grapes are used for all Armagnacs made at the domaine.

Distillation takes place on the property when Julien will accompany and monitor distillation executed by a trusted distillateur ambulant, usually in November. The alambic is an old-style, wood-burning continuous column still.

Unhurried aging occurs in oak barrels that hold 300 or 400 liters. The barrels come from the best old French forests like Allier, Vosges, and Nivernais. The barrels are lightly toasted (“chauffe blond”). Most of the armagnacs have an alcohol content between 44° and 48°. They're known for their strong aromatics of prunes and candied fruits, and a bold, vibrant flavor unique to Ténarèze soil. Make no mistake about it: this is an Armagnac full of character and personality. This ripping Grape of the Art Seailles 2004 batch was bottled straight from the cask, with no dilution, at its natural color and with no chill-filtration.

What?
Grape of the Art Séailles 2004, Armagnac Ténarèze, 18 Years, 53.9%, Cask #54

Who?

Where?
Armagnac Ténarèze - Mouchan, France

How?
The vineyard sections sit high up on hillsides, an ideal location because of the special geology. The soil is a mix of fine clay-limestone and gravel, and it faces east and south. This setting gets a lot of sunlight, which is great for growing grapes. Ugni Blanc grapes are used for all Armagnacs made at the domaine.

Reason for choosing

This is Grape of the Art’s bread and butter style of Armagnac: rich, decadent, even hedonistic, almost rummy. High quality, strong personality, intense flavors.

Nose

Upon first encounter, the nose is immediately rocked by a symphony of rich, sweet molasses and smooth caramel notes. These are punctuated by a vibrant dash of bergamot oil, which seems to introduce a citrusy freshness that counterbalances the intense sweetness. Subtler undertones of raisins and black tea come next, their rich dried-fruit sweetness and tannic edge adding depth and complexity to the bundle of aromas.

Palate

On the palate, the experience unfolds further as the caramel and wine gum sweetness meld seamlessly with the molasses. This is interrupted by a refreshing splash of orange zest and a subtle dash of the Earl Grey notes from the nose, their citrus and spicy notes cutting through the sweetness and adding a sophisticated layer to the flavor profile. The lasting impression is one of balance and complexity, but with some serious personality. Any rum fans out there?

Nose: Upon first encounter, the nose is immediately rocked by a symphony of rich, sweet molasses and smooth caramel notes. These are punctuated by a vibrant dash of bergamot oil, which seems to introduce a citrusy freshness that counterbalances the intense sweetness. Subtler undertones of raisins and black tea come next, their rich dried-fruit sweetness and tannic edge adding depth and complexity to the bundle of aromas.

Palate: On the palate, the experience unfolds further as the caramel and wine gum sweetness meld seamlessly with the molasses. This is interrupted by a refreshing splash of orange zest and a subtle dash of the Earl Grey notes from the nose, their citrus and spicy notes cutting through the sweetness and adding a sophisticated layer to the flavor profile. The lasting impression is one of balance and complexity, but with some serious personality. Any rum fans out there?

Fun Fact

The region’s crisp thirst quenching Cotes de Gascogne white wines are France’s most exported white wine. And Domaine Séailles makes some beautifully fresh white wines. If you find them, you must try them!

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?