January 18, 2015

Malternatives on Sunday, today armagnac

I really find it amazing that after decades of (almost) silence, more and more lovers of aged spirits are talking about armagnac again. Especially in America! We’ll try to build a wee – I mean, a petit – crescendo.

Clés Des Ducs V.S.O.P. (40%, OB, armagnac blend, +/-2014)

VSOP means a minimum of four years of maturation. This one comes in a traditional flat bottle called a basquaise. It’s like a racquet if you will. This brand is widely available in France and a bottle of VSOP goes for 25€. Colour: gold. Nose: fairly easy but not downright fruity, or that would rather be greengages. Also raisins, as usual, apples, a touch of eucalyptus to balance the fruits, and just hints of toasted oak and liquorice. Easy, fresh and clean for an armagnac. Mouth: easy and fruity again, with a few rough notes (feeling kirsch), and perhaps a sucrosity, but it’s otherwise pleasant, with good body. Notes of dried figs and raisins, as well as a little oak. Finish: of medium length, with soft tannins and some plums again. Comments: I find this pleasant, rounded, fruity and easy. Not too ‘commercial’, goes down well. SGP:441 - 79 points.

Janneau VSOP (40%, OB, armagnac, blend, +/-2014)

This VSOP is said to be rather older than 4, like many others. Probably around 8. The bottle is quite spectacular, there is some BFYB effect here. Unless… Colour: amber gold. Nose: it is a rounder, more candied and more vanilla-ed version after the Clés des Ducs, more polished, more fudgy, with many more raisins. As a consequence, it’s a little less fresh and clean, but it’s nicely aromatic. Oh and easy, or so it seems. Mouth: good, easy, maybe a tad gritty at times, but that’s Armagnac. Apple peelings, cherries, oranges and raisins. Nit as soft and smooth as the nose suggested, that’s for sure. Pleasant mouth feel, even if it tends to lose steam. The 40% again… Finish: a little short and maybe a little too grassy. More apple peelings, little roundness. Comments: the nose was quite something, the palate was a little too rough. One point below the Clés des Ducs in my book – tell me about a crescendo. Fail! SGP:451 - 78 points.

Gélas 18 yo 'Single Cask Double-Matured Porto Barros' (42%, OB, bas-armagnac, 800 bottles, +/-2014)

Gélas seem to be trying to mimic Scotch with these bottlings. The grapes they used for this were mainly baco and ugni blanc. Colour: amber gold. Nose: the Port is very discreet, and that’s great news if you ask me. It’s a rather firmer armagnac after the Janneau, with more leaves and leather on top of the obligatory raisins, more prunes as well, then a little caramel, café latte and maybe a touch of rancio. Maybe a little more rustic than the others, in a good way. Mouth: pretty excellent, really makes the difference after the VSOPs. Blood oranges, Seville oranges, dry liquorice, pink peppercorns, maybe a touch of blackcurrant from the Port – maybe – and then rather hawthorn and rosewater (oriental pastries, Turkish delights). Good body, 42% are already enough, no frustrations. Finish: of medium length, rather fruity. More blood oranges and Corinthian raisins, with a touch of earth and white pepper in the aftertaste. Comments: very well executed, even if the Port may have imparted a wee feeling of Spanish brandy. Yup, I know where’s Oporto. SGP:541 - 84 points.

Francis Darroze 29 yo 1985/2014 'Domaine de Bertruc' (45%, OB, bas-armagnac)

Darroze have got an excellent reputation. This baby wasn’t reduced, it’s cask strength and, of course, single domaine. Colour: deep amber. Nose: this is something different indeed, it’s much wilder, with a lot of tobacco and prunes, hay, wee whiffs of clean manure (I’d say), rotting oranges, which is nice, then a mustiness, mushrooms, cigars, a little camphor… Sounds like malt whisky? Indeed! Mouth: lovely wild armagnac again, with good body, this typical grittiness (grape skins), oranges, white pepper, a little gingerbread, certainly some tobacco again and then a little green wood, which might be a tiny flaw. Really small house armagnac, with again a rustic side that goes so well with this spirit. The 29 years don’t feel much. Finish: quite long and quite dry, with some tea and pepper. Maybe a little drying, in fact. The aftertaste is a tad dusty. Comments: I find this excellent, only the oak in the finish was a little less entrancing. Oh, a price, you ask. 68€ for a 29yo cask strength armagnac de propriétaire. Enough said. SGP:551 - 86 points.

Dartigalongue 1959 (40%, OB, bas-armagnac, +/-2010)

Dartigalongue are one of, if not the oldest house in Armagnac. They are located in Nogaro, in the Gers region, where there also is a magnificent racing circuit. Just saying. This kind of bottle typically goes for around 200-250€. Yes it’s fifty years old. Colour: deep amber. Nose: sweet Jesus, Mary and Joseph! This is admirable, polished, rounded, loaded with prunes and black raisins, fudge, chocolate, coffee, then more complex notes of old orange liqueur, cigars, rancio, a drop of oyster sauce perhaps, medlars, rich chestnut honey, menthol, camphor… Absolutely endless, this one really does the peacock’s tail. Sure the low strength augurs ill for the palate, but you never know. Stunning nose nonetheless. Mouth: no, really, it’s fine, the spirit’s thick and heavy enough to stand the low strength. Starts with clear notes of Port (there’s more Port than in the Port-finished Gélas!) and goes on with several varieties of raisins, certainly bags of prunes, as often, and a fruity combination that we call ‘confiture de vieux garçon’ over here. Ripe strawberries, oranges, red wine, bits of cloves, cinnamon, zwetschke… Finish: pretty long, with a curious, but lovely blend of cinnamon, raisins and strawberries. The aftertaste is a little grapy, as it should be. Comments: this is going to be some big fat… SGP:651 - 90 points.

Great session methinks. Lovely armagnacs – oh yeah, in French, you write armagnac without a capital A when mentioning the drink, and with a capital letter when mentioning the place. I know, a little weird…

(with thanks to Olivier and Michal)

Check the index of all armagnacs I've tasted so far