Another consequence of Covid 19


April 12, 2020

The Confined Sessions
Another consequence of Covid 19

My dear wife decided to clean and tidy up the whole house while we’re in isolation, making use of strategies and tactics that even Sun Tzu, Moltke and Machiavelli would have found extremely cunning (knowing that the real enemy who’s been put to fight was… this peaceful taster, naturally). One of the targets, so to speak, has been my old spirit cabinet (call that a bar if you like), a place where I’ve always been storing those bottles which I knew I would never drink, let alone finish. Here’s just two or four examples of what General Sun Tz… I mean my dear wife found in the back of that rather dusty old cabinet.

La Ferme de Gagnet 1984/2001 (44%, OB, Armagnac)

So an old bottle I was having in the back of the back of the bar and that I had completely forgotten about. Not too sure there’s anything to be expected here, but at least this is a real winegrower making his own Armagnac (and foie gras s’il-vous-plaît). They’re located in Mezin, in the Lot-et-Garonne, so not really a grand-cru location. Or is it Ténarèze? Colour: amber with red hues. Nose: typically rustic Armagnac, rather on chocolate, coffee and prunes, then with some black pipe tobacco and certainly some earth. Dunnage, old winery, sultanas, foie gras. No, not foie gras naturellement. Mouth: it’s good! Sure the higher ABV helped a lot along those almost twenty years in the traditional flat bottle called a ‘basquaise’ (smart people rather call them tennis rackets) but the fruitiness is well there, and so are the earths and the coffee. It’s very coffee-y actually, chocolaty as well, and, well, good. 1984 was not a good vintage in the south-west of France, but they got away with it. Finish: rather long, and all on some short espresso. Almost ristretto! Comments: a good surprise, absolutely. It’s also true that these rustic brandies are growing on you. But will authenticity and provenance actually be proper post-covid values? That’s what people say, which means that that shouldn’t happen, sadly. Anyway, very good Armagnac, sadly hard to find. But pst, Hors d’Âge, 52€, XO 42€, VSOP 34€.
SGP:462 - 83 points.

La Ribaude ‘Hors d’Âge’ (42%, Distillerie du Houley, Calvados Pays d’Auge, +/-2005)

Another old bottle from the back of the cabinet. No expectations, and I’m not a Calvados freak (but I adore cider!) Colour: deep gold. Nose: cider, overripe apples, touches of vanilla, hints of apple peel. That’s pretty all, I wouldn’t call this calva Mr Complex. Mouth: very rustic, gritty, a tad bitter, a little sour, and getting frankly a little unpleasant while avalanche of peelings show up. Finish: long and a little too bitter. Comments: not exactly the best use of apples and pears, I would say. But it’s still drinkable, although our ancestors would have just poured it into their coffee without blinking an eye. By the way, a ribaude in old French is a kind of… lady lecher. Strange name.
SGP:561 - 55 points.

J. Verrier ‘Hors d’Âge’ (40%, OB, Calvados Pays d’Auge, +/-2005)

J. Verrier ‘Hors d’Âge’ (40%, OB, Calvados Pays d’Auge, +/-2005)
Same story here. The cabinet is large and poorly lit. By the way Pays D’auge is one of the main regions in Calvados, it’s located right between the cities of Caen and Rouen. Never drank this much calvados in my own life by the way! Colour: gold. Nose: similar to the previous one, just a tad smoother and rounder, perhaps a tad fruitier. Rather nicer in fact. Mouth: fine, easy, more perfumed, on apples and pears, touches of oranges perhaps, a very wee cologne-y side (roses?) and the expected light vanilla. Not too bad. Finish: a little short, and a tad sweetened-up. Not sure that’s natural. Comments: it’s okay, but I’m sure I won’t remember it… tomorrow. Perhaps even tonight. Remember what?
SGP:641 - 70 points.

The Armagnac just killed the calvas, it seems.

Daumas Gassac (40%, OB, Fine du Languedoc, +/-2010)

Daumas Gassac is a very famous estate in Languedoc, they’ve been real pioneers and almost singlehandedly enhanced the reputation of Languedoc while the wines of that region were previously seen as… pure rotguts. It’s interesting to try this little fine (distilled wine, as cognac is). The estate uses many different grape varietals, some very esoteric, but I just don’t know what they use for their little fine. Colour: pale gold. Nose: we’re pretty much in cognac territories, with white and yellow fruits (peaches) and a blend of rubbers and grasses that would not impair it. Cherries and almonds. A fine fine (don’t tell me you’re proud of that one, S.) Mouth: the vanilla-y oak shows a bit too much here, and I’m not sure heavy coconut and butterscotch really fit a nice brandy. What’s okay with malt whisky is often terrible with fines and marcs. Finish: medium, too leafy. Comments: they clearly screw it up. Oak can be any aged spirit’s best friend… or its worst enemy. I wouldn’t have used the brand name ‘Daumas Gassac’ here. Perhaps Simone? Or Elizabeth? Georges or George? Marcel? Paul? Gunther? Donald? Boris? ‘Donald & Boris’, that would have style!
SGP:361 - 50 points.

Frapin ‘V.S..P. Cuvée Rare’ (40%, OB, Cognac Grande Champagne, +/-2010)

In Cognac too ‘rare’ usually means ‘pretty common’. Colour: amber. Nose: very rounded, jammy, soft, with quite some caramel and corn syrup. A very discreet tarry touch, and a general feeling of Georgian or Armenian brandy. Not unpleasant but rather undemanding so far. Mouth: good, with some honey, toasted bread, roasted nuts, some tea, apricot jam, and rather a lot of caramel I’m afraid, getting a little bitter. Finish: medium, a little bitter and tea-ish. Burnt caramel. Comments: I’m rather disappointed with this oldish bottle; some Cognac that’s exactly the opposite of a proper malternative, if you ask me. I believe it’s the vintage versions that one should look for at Frapin’s.
SGP:461 - 76 points.

There were many other bottles, of course, but I think I’ll spare you those. Including Vietnamese ‘whisky’ with some kind of snake inside , something that’s supposed to cure just everything. But you never know, if I ever catch Covid 19, I may well…