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Armagnac Marcillac Vintage Collection 1975

Exceptional 92 /100

see 2 reviews

Bottle size
700ml
ABV
42%
Armagnac age
Vintage

Taylor C.

Reviews written: 41 (see reviews)

Average Score given: 86

Review Overview: Best & Most rated, All Reviewers & Reviews

Bio:

French wine, and the concept of terroir, captured my interest early on. Naturally, curiosity took me to spirits, in particular Cognac. Today I'm proud to be a member of the Cognac Expert team managing B2B projects, working on Cognac Expert Originals, and writing bottle reviews for the English Blog. I love to taste anything and everything - rum/rhum, whisky(ey), Armagnac, etc. - but no other spirit grabs my attention quite like Cognac, and all of its subtleties and nuance. Santé !

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Marcillac Vintage Collection 1975

Highly Recommended 89 /100

Nose: Massive! The nose is very buttered and dessert-like - patissier is the word in French. Right off the bat, smells of butterscotch, caramel, toffee, dried red fruits, and vanilla compete for the nose’s attention. The vanilla is not front and center because the other bombastic notes steal the spotlight. With a little air, an unmistakable savory note like that found in fruity sweet bbq sauce appears. There is an old wood note, but again it’s not center stage because of the richly seductive dessert and savory fruit notes which leap from the glass. Lastly, it must be said that one could be forgiven for thinking he or she is smelling a sherry bomb single malt whisky - a proper malternative nose as the whisky community would say. One could just smell this all night. It’s a nose from another planet!

Palate: This is a mouthful of an Armagnac. The texture is immense. It is an Armagnac to chew on. The palate initially feels how oak-driven this Armagnac is. The force of the oak fades away only for bags of sultry sweet fruits to take the relay: fig jam and Medjool dates all coated in a dark high strength raw honey. It is a heavier spirit with a memorable texture. And yes, I do taste traces of that savory bbq sauce I picked up on the nose. The tannins are grainy and rustic. They ruffle the cheeks and leave a firm imprint from the midpalate into the finish.

Finish: As the Armagnac is swallowed, the oakiness reappears and the grainy rustic tannins roar back leaving a pleasant bitterness in the mouth. The astringent sensation on the finish is like that from drinking a fine black tea. This must be viewed as a positive as the firmness on the finish counterbalances the honeyed fruity notes from the midpalate. This is a robust Armagnac of real character. Seemingly hours after tasting, the teeth will still feel as though the Armagnac is clinging to them. My palate seems stained; my teeth feel clung to, and the Armagnac finishes full of rustic charms.

Tags

  • Butter
  • Candied Fruit
  • Caramel
  • Cherries
  • Chocolate
  • Fresh Fig
  • Pastry
  • Plum
  • Rancio

Flavour

Wood 7/10

Spice 7/10

Fruit 7/10

Flower 3/10

Bottle / Package Design 5/5

Where is the Love? Ordinary Nice Beautiful A sight to be seen!

Value for Money 4/5

Overpriced Low Average Bargain Steal

Tasting

Nose

What aromas do you get when you sniff the Cognac? Do you get hints of fruits or flowers - perhaps it's sweet? Is it intense or rather flat - and most importantly, is the nose coherent to taste and finish? The nose is the most important part when tasting Cognac.

22/25

Mouth

A small sip: Allow your taste buds in the various areas of your mouth to distinguish the different flavours. This part of cognac tasting is described as ‘the palate’. Don’t just swallow it down; allow the liquid to touch all the regions of the mouth. Doing this is necessary as the taste buds pick up contrasting flavours in the different areas of the mouth; on the tip of your tongue to the sides, for example. Take a tiny sip to prep your palate for the sensory experience to come. Take a second larger sip, and gently roll the cognac around, etting it come into contact with every corner of your mouth. Focus on the perceived textural sensations. Are the sensations round and rich or fresh and elegant? Is the overall mouthfeel intense, balanced, disjointed, or lacking presence? In short, how does the cognac feel in your mouth?

16/20

Taste

Quite simply, what do you taste as you gently roll the cognac around in your mouth? Pay close attention to any flavors of fruits, flowers, oak, and spices - or a complex combination of those elements. Are the flavors cohesive with the Nose and the Mouth, giving a sense of balance and complexity?

23/25

Finish

The ‘finish’ is the experience you get after you’ve swallowed the cognac. What flavours can you detect? Is it a flat or rough finish and rather sharp, or is it a slight 'punch' you like? How long does the finish last? Also think about overall balance: How does the finish compare to nose and taste?

19/20

Overall Impression

Consider the Nose, Mouth, Taste, and Finish simultaneously - the cognac as a whole. Is there cohesion between the four categories, or does the cognac shine in some areas and appear dull in others? Quite simply, is the memory from the tasting experience one that will last your lifetime; is the memory good but nothing extraordinary; or is the cognac’s impact entirely forgettable?

9/10

Total: 89/100

  • 80-84: Recommended
  • 85-89: Highly Recommended
  • 90-95: Exceptional
  • 96-100: Superlative
Flat Acceptable Fine Excellent Ethereal Thin & weak Disjointed Balanced Exquisite Bland Ordinary Good Excellent Spectacular Non-existent, or rough Acceptable Good Memorable Endless Uninspiring, or rough Ordinary Good Excellent Memorable
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