A few cognacs and armagnacs


October 9, 2022

A few cognacs and armagnacs

We're live from Whisky Live Paris, but we're too busy indulging with friends as we're positing this, this wee session was done before we went to the capital.

Athos, Porthos and Aramis (Malkovich, Depardieu, Irons) in L'Homme au Masque de Fer (1998)

Château de Beaulon 12 yo 'XO' (40%, OB, Fins Bois, +/-2020)

The château itself is wonderful, but just like with châteaux in Bordeaux or Scottish distilleries (that's right), you'll never find any relations between the prestige of the settings and the quality of the make. Some would add 'quite the opposite' but that would be a little provocative. Especially in Scotland… right… Colour: gold. Nose: gentle, on finger biscuits and peach jam, plus golden raisins, with touches of blond tobacco and soft liquorice. No quibblings, this is fresh and pleasant, if not totally characterful. Mouth: really good, with emphasis on liquorice and violet sweets. Really a lot of violets, without being too perfumy – at all. Rather a lot of heather honey too, mint honey, and just more soft liquorice. This really works. Finish: medium, even more honeyed and liquoricy. The violets are back in the aftertaste, with even a feeling of old sweet grenache. Comments: yeah right, proving me wrong is easy. Lovely château and lovely young cognac.
SGP:641 - 86 points.

French Brandy 1993/2022 (47%, Michiel Wigman, Precious Moments)

This is actually cognac but since it was first shipped to the UK (in an early-landed way) it cannot bear the appellation anymore. No, nothing to do with Brexit. We haven't got the label yet, but when we do, we shall update. Colour: deep amber. Nose: luscious jams, that's what's in there. Especially figs in all there guises, pear (not that common in cognac) and litchees/rambutans. Whiffs of ultra-ripe oranges flying around, and even, if I may, and please excuse me… Campari! Hope we'll remain friends, Mr Michiel W. ;-). Mouth: this one's from the country, it's a little gritty, leafy, rustic, and clearly medicinal (cough syrup, camphor). It is not quite an usual style of old cognac, but that's probably an asset. Once again, notes of overripe oranges too, cloves, and yep, bitters. Finish: medium, a little resinous, with notes of old woods and black tobacco in the aftertaste. Gauloise! Comments: this one feels so French… Even if it was sent abroad in its earliest days. Vive l'Europe.
SGP:461 - 88 points.

Why not an armagnac!

De Montal 30 yo (50.4%, OB for Alambic Classique, Bas-armagnac, brut de fût, 147 bottles)

Made at Château de Rieutort in the Gers. It's said their their three stills are named Athos, Porthos et Aramis (the Three Musketeers!) Brut de fût means natural cask strength, not just 'higher strength' as can be seen elsewhere. Colour: full amber. Nose: some very traditional postprandial armagnac, with oak, raisins, chocolate and coffee. It is very old-school, with the wood doing a large part of the work. Certainly un-modern, as far as French brandies go. Mouth: I like the palate ten times better, even if it's still pretty oaky and 'vieille-école'. Heavy liquorice, a little varnish, coffee, black raisins, prunes, touch of pine resin and touch of menthol… Ultra-classic, really. Finish: pretty long. The liquorice and the piney wood keep running the show. Comments: back to the 1970s as far as styles go. Almost armagnac for antique shops – well I know my grandpas would have adored this one. I too like it rather a lot.
SGP:451 - 85 points.

Baron de Sigognac 1982 (47%, Old Master Spirits, Bas-armagnac, +/-2022)

This from 65% baco, 25% ugni blanc and 10% folle blanche. Harvested by hand and distilled in a 100 year old alambic. It was bottled for our friends in Oz, which I find extremely pleasing. So, back from Australia (trumpets please) … Colour: deep amber. Nose: the baron is modern! There's this slight bourbony feel (polished oak), cakes, some kind of earthy fruitcake, figs and roses, which makes it pretty oriental too, then small perfumy smells, benzoin, more rose petals, ylang-ylang… then cedar and pine woods, albeit in reasonable measures… It is really very fragrant, yet not heady. Fascinating to follow, this armagnac by Guerlain (quite, Guerlain don't send your lawyers!) Mouth: towards the De Montal this time, with an oak that's perhaps a little dominant. Still awesome but to be honest, I believe they do not quite monitor their casks as well as they do in cognac. Oak spices, cloves, cinnamon, black tea, peach skins… Finish: long, with the same spices plus perhaps a spicy meatiness, towards beef jerky. Perhaps… Comments: two armagnacs in one. I fell in love with the nose (1980s tasters may have said it was feminine), while I found the palate a little… say 'Gascon'. Meaning old-school. Still high-echelon, globally.
SGP:561 - 87 points.

Château de Gaube 1972/2022 (43.4%, LMDW, Version Française, Armagnac)

If anyone well-intentioned ever asks me about the 'vintage of the century' as far as all spirits go, I'll answer 1972. It's just that I have no proper rationale behind that feeling. But who needs a rationale? Colour: full gold. Nose: totally fresh, fruity and floral, a little trans-spirit, without any obvious wood, rather a Clynelishness that would lead us to beeswaxes, honeys, orange blossom and citrons. Luminous and extremely seductive. Mouth: splendid arrival, on ripe apples, the all-important quinces, some hay wine, and indeed citrons. It is not the most complex old armagnac ever, but it was extremely well chiseled. Acacia honey and liquorice in the background, tiny herbs, perhaps wild leek… Finish: medium to short, losing a bit of steam perhaps, but there is some mint and some liquorice. After all, this is a 50 years old spirit. A little oak in the aftertaste. Comments: just wonderful, only getting a little fragile towards the finish, which is totally normal.
SGP:551 - 88 points.

I would say we'll have many more (and older) French brandies next week. Unless I change my mind…