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Grape of the Art

Armagnac Castarede 1986

Discover the Grape of the Art Castarède 1986 Armagnac, a treasure from the Ténarèze growing area. Crafted from Ugni Blanc and Colombard grapes and aged for 36 years in a humid cellar, this cask strength (53.4%) spirit is limited to 246 bottles - natural color, no additives, and no chill filtration. It possesses an immediate elegance and fruitiness and a palate of creamy sweetness - evocative of some Cognacs to be honest. Castarède is a key player in the world of Armagnac, and everything Grape of the Art selects promises to be memorable. Secure your bottle now.

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Grape of the Art Castarede 1986

Category: Armagnac Ténarèze

Producer: Castarede

Age: 1986 Vintage - 36 Years Old

ABV: 53.4 % - Cask Strength

Grape variety: Ugni Blanc & Colombard

Cellar climate: Wet cellar

What?

Grape of the Art Castarède 1986 Ténarèze

Cask N°B10, 36 years old, humid cellar, 53.4% abv cask strength

Ugni Blanc and Colombard

Who?

Grape of the Art

The Castarède family has been the guiding light of France's oldest Armagnac house since its establishment in 1832, a history that spans over six generations. Today, 192 years since its founding, the company remains under the watchful eye of Florence Castarède, who continues to carry the torch of her family's storied tradition. This house possesses an extensive collection of vintage Armagnacs, with their oldest bottle dating back to 1893.

A point of pride for Armagnac Castarède is that the most recent two cellar masters have each held on to those roles for over three decades. This impressive fact is an informal guarantee of consistency and quality for what ends up in the bottle - for which this Grape of the Art 1986 edition is clear evidence. The Castarède family's commitment to showcasing the best of what Armagnac has to offer has led them to become so much more than just an Armagnac house; they are part of the fabric of the region and this great spirit - Armagnac.

Their commitment goes far beyond the borders of France, as Florence Castarède actively engages with a global audience. Sure, there are no regional locomotives like we can see in the Cognac region, but a house like Castarède plays a huge role in sharing Armagnac outside of France. And to that we say, bravo!

Where?

Ténarèze

How?

The Grape of the Art Castarède 1986 Ténarèze Armagnac aged for 36 years in Cask N°B10 in one of Castarède’s humid cellars. It carries a robust 53.4% ABV at cask strength and is a blend of Ugni Blanc and Colombard grapes (the exact proportions are unknown). As with every bottling of Grape of the Art, the color is natural, there are no additives whatsoever, and no chill-filtration took place.

This is an Armagnac with an immediate elegance and a fruit-forward mix of berries and tropical fruits. It is evocative of spring with its floral freshness, and its delicacy and finesse make it reminiscent of some Cognacs. It presents a lovely texture, blending creamy and oily, with flavors of soft berry fruit sorbets. The elegance from the nose is confirmed, offering a balanced and refined tasting experience that manages its alcohol level really well.

What?

Grape of the Art Castarède 1986 Ténarèze 

Cask N°B10, 36 years old, humid cellar, 53.4% abv cask strength 

Ugni Blanc and Colombard

Who?

Grape of the Art

The Castarède family has been the guiding light of France's oldest Armagnac house since its establishment in 1832, a history that spans over six generations. Today, 192 years since its founding, the company remains under the watchful eye of Florence Castarède, who continues to carry the torch of her family's storied tradition. This house possesses an extensive collection of vintage Armagnacs, with their oldest bottle dating back to 1893. 

A point of pride for Armagnac Castarède is that the most recent two cellar masters have each held on to those roles for over three decades. This impressive fact is an informal guarantee of consistency and quality for what ends up in the bottle - for which this Grape of the Art 1986 edition is clear evidence. The Castarède family's commitment to showcasing the best of what Armagnac has to offer has led them to become so much more than just an Armagnac house; they are part of the fabric of the region and this great spirit - Armagnac. 

Their commitment goes far beyond the borders of France, as Florence Castarède actively engages with a global audience. Sure, there are no regional locomotives like we can see in the Cognac region, but a house like Castarède plays a huge role in sharing Armagnac outside of France. And to that we say, bravo!

Where?

Ténarèze

How?

The Grape of the Art Castarède 1986 Ténarèze Armagnac aged for 36 years in Cask N°B10 in one of Castarède’s humid cellars. It carries a robust 53.4% ABV at cask strength and is a blend of Ugni Blanc and Colombard grapes (the exact proportions are unknown). As with every bottling of Grape of the Art, the color is natural, there are no additives whatsoever, and no chill-filtration took place. 

This is an Armagnac with an immediate elegance and a fruit-forward mix of berries and tropical fruits. It is evocative of spring with its floral freshness, and its delicacy and finesse make it reminiscent of some Cognacs. It presents a lovely texture, blending creamy and oily, with flavors of soft berry fruit sorbets. The elegance from the nose is confirmed, offering a balanced and refined tasting experience that manages its alcohol level really well.

Reason for choosing

While this Grape of the Art Castarède 1986 is clearly an Armagnac, it has plenty of the aromas, the flavors, and - very importantly - the sensations any lover of Cognac could get along with. So anyone keen on cask strengths Cognacs, will likely be thrilled with this bottling. We sure are!

Nose

Immediate sensation of elegance
Fruit-forward: various berry fruits and then tropical fruit - mango, passion fruit
Evocative of springtime - floral, fresh, vibrant
Curiously, a nose which nods to some Cognacs - we love that!

Palate

Beautiful texture somewhere between creamy and oily
Soft delicate fruit sorbets (more on berry fruits)
The impression of elegance from the nose is immediately confirmed
Balanced
Wears its alcohol level very well

Nose:
Immediate sensation of elegance 
Fruit-forward: various berry fruits and then tropical fruit - mango, passion fruit 
Evocative of springtime - floral, fresh, vibrant 
Curiously, a nose which nods to some Cognacs - we love that!

Palate:
Beautiful texture somewhere between creamy and oily 
Soft delicate fruit sorbets (more on berry fruits) 
The impression of elegance from the nose is immediately confirmed 
Balanced 
Wears its alcohol level very well

Fun Fact

The Gers department in France, which comprises a big chunk of the Armagnac region, is a noticeably rural department. Most villages and communes have populations of less than 2000 people. But what it lacks in people it more than makes up for it with soul and authenticity. This is one of France’s most welcoming and beautiful areas.

About Castarède Armagnac

In the heart of France, before the age of railways and modern communication, Castarède Armagnac was founded in 1832. Its roots trace back to Pont de Bordes, near an ancient Roman road and the Baïse River, where the first Armagnac trading house and cellars were established. Supported by Baron Haussmann, the family quickly became integral to the Armagnac trade, bringing in casks from the Bas Armagnac region by cart.

Originally named Jules Nismes Delclou & Cie, the company was later named after the Castarède family, who were ennobled in 1818 by King Louis XVIII and contributed their name and coat of arms to the business. Recognized as the first declared trading house of Armagnac, Castarède has maintained a legacy of craftsmanship and tradition for nearly two centuries.

The Castarède family, now in its sixth generation, continues to promote and celebrate this exquisite French brandy. Under the leadership of Florence Castarède, the company has reached international audiences, sharing the rich history and quality of their Armagnac. The family's dedication to preserving the art of living and the unique qualities of their Armagnac reflects a deep commitment to their heritage and the joy of sharing their passion with the world.

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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Castarede 1986

Coming soon.

Release date: March 21, 2024 - 8pm French time

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