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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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April 3, 2022 |
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Cognacs and armagnac, intertwined
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I agree it is more orthodox to have only cognacs for example, or even only Borderies or Petite champagne, but life is short and we're no experts. Our aim on Sundays is to maximise our fun, that's all. Thanks for your attention and understanding.
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Drouet et FIls 7 yo 2010/2017 'Fine Méline' (40%, OB, cognac, grande champagne, 1500 bottles) 
This is the earlier release, they've then done a 2012 at 42% vol. which sounds, well, sounder, but this is, indeed, the earlier, lighter one at 40%. It is pure ugni blanc and, apparently, was well-filtered before distillation, or at least distilled without the lees, for lighter, rounder results. Colour: golden amber. Nose: very soft indeed, rather all on jams and liqueurs (melon and peaches), with a few raisins and a small toasted side, as well as a little cigarette tobacco (opening a new pack, when we were still doing that, twenty years ago, those smells seem to remain unforgettable). Also dandelions and orange blossom. I believe Drouet is a very fine house. Mouth: very light and fresh, but not too thin, with rather a lot of caramel, fudge, raisins and a touch of menthol and liquorice. Some white chocolate and a little muscovado and williams pears. The middle is thinner, while the… Finish: is short, with a little butterscotch, marmalade and chestnut honey. Comments: very good composition, I think, but the wattage is really too low for us. It's like when we were trying to move some big AR speakers using those new Japanese 2 X 25W amps, back in the early 1970s. Right.
SGP:531 - 82 points. |
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Dupeyron 2004 (40%, OB, armagnac, +/-2020) 
These are sometimes branded Dupeyron, sometimes J. Dupeyron and sometimes Ryst-Dupeyron. The house is located in Condom and I really like it that they would still use those old flat 'basquaise' bottles, a.k.a. tennis bottles. Colour: golden amber. Nose: there are vast differences, especially a firmer, earthier profile, some acetic, acetone-y notes that would remind us of high-ester spirits (is this grand arôme armagnac?) as well as some calvados and sour wines, old barrels, musty old cellar, acidic coffee and 'older' oranges. All things that we enjoy a lot on the nose, mind you. Mouth: same profile on the palate, varnish and acetone, apple wine, liquorice wood, brunt wood, green pears, toasts… Only the low strength, this time again, is pretty frustrating by malt whisky standards. Finish: a little short, but with lovely notes of old rancio, very old Rivesaltes and, for that matter, calvados. Comments: the house is very much in the business of birthday bottles, but that does not mean that the juices aren't good. On the contrary, I find this superbly old-school.
SGP:451 - 85 points. |
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Pierre Ferrand 2009/2021 'Single Cask' (48.4%, OB, Grande champagne, for 15th Anniversary The Nectar, 354 bottles)
Ex- 100 years old oloroso casks, so obviously proper ex-solera, but it wouldn't say whether this is full-maturation or only a finish, here you go. Colour: deep gold. Nose: apricot liqueur, big juicy sultanas, rose petals, Turkish delights, gewurztraminer, a curious muscaty side, also one of our beloved fresh panettones. It is very aromatic, not oloroso-y (as in an ex-oloroso malt whisky) and without much walnut wine, but I do also find some pipe tobacco. Very nice nose, feeling a little older than just 10 or 11. Mouth: a little syrupy at first, but pine honeydew, pistachios, walnuts and liquorice are soon to seize control, which works a treat and would even lead to a little old pu-her tea. Walnuts would even tend to become dominant; the fact is, I'm the life President of the French Walnut Club (yeah yeah). Finish: rather long, on walnut liqueur, with more liquorice and a touch of sweet mustard. A little leather in the aftertaste. Comments: I got a little scared at first, but those wonderful walnuts did a great job.
SGP:561 - 86 points. |
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Veuve Goudoulin 2000/2021 (48.3%, LMDW, Version Française, Bas-armagnac, 300 bottles) 
Veuve Goudoulin, in Courrensan in the Gers, are négociants, they do not grow their own vines or distil themselves. They belong to the Miclo family, who are famous distillers here in Alsace. Colour: gold. Nose: a large pack of honey candies and just proper all-flower honey. I don't think I've ever nosed a spirit that was this much on honey, not even Highland Park from 'that' era. A few touches of sweet cider as well, much later on… Mouth: much more floral and grassy, with winey touches, a drop of apple vinegar, edible pansies, a little blond tobacco, then more leaves, while it's really getting dry and completely at the other end of the spectrum after that hugely honeyed nose. Finish: dry, rather oaky. Comments: as a fan of bees, I totally adored the nose and even the arrival on the palate, but I believe the rustic woodiness rather took over later. Still of pretty high quality.
SGP:551 - 83 points. |
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Maison Prunier 1996 (49.5%, OB, Fins bois, for Wine4you, +/-2022) 
Maison Prunier are négociants/blenders in the city of Cognac since the 18th century, with a vast – but we've never seen it ourselves – paradis. We'll have a rather 'young' one today instead, keeping in mind that for some friendly Scottish houses, this would already be 'extremely old'. Colour: gold. Nose: I like it when you're around oils, sunflower, peanuts, even colza… And maize bread, Assam, almonds, amaretti, peaches, acacia flowers, woodruff, honeysuckle, chamomile… I just love all these flowers that you would not quite find in older cognacs. Mouth: excellent! Fig jam, more flowers, honeys, stewed peaches and tangerines, a little pepper, liquorice, touch of mint and pine resin… Finish: medium, fresh, fruity, on pretty much the same notes. Citrons and tangerines in the aftertaste, which is awesome. Comments: I was having this feeling… Now remember this is 25 years old, already.
SGP:651 - 89 points. |
Let's try to find a worthy opponent… |
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Dartigalongue 1993/2021 (46.3%, OB, Bas-armagnac, 932 bottles)
A well-known house in Nogaro in the Gers, where you can also race your cars (before you drink armagnac). I mean, perhaps not your Twingo or your Tesla… This one's pure folle blanche, and it's interesting that they would write 'récolte 1993', stressing the fact that vintages are about harvests, contrarily to what they would do in Scotland, where they could use older barley, or ever re-dry some. Well, not sure they keep doing that. Colour: amber. Nose: this is traditional armagnac, with varnish, tobacco, chocolate, coffee, prunes, then marmalade and liquorice. It is both full and compact, a bit rustic and elegant, and just sufficiently grapey to remind you that armagnac is made out of grapes. Well, out of wine. Mouth: a tad tougher, spicier than the cognac, grittier, but that's also what you're expecting from some armagnac (even if that cognac was a fins bois, while in my book the three 'bois' can be reminiscent of armagnac, but we shall discuss this later, perhaps). Good, one thing is sure, this is excellent armagnac, with just the right amount of everything, coffee, grass, tobacco, prunes, raisins, chocolate… Finish: same. Very good, very much 'on location', as say Ardbeg can be. Comments: I would need two magnums of each to be able to tell you (maybe) which I like best, but that would be a little unreasonable.
SGP:551 - 89 points. |
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Daniel Bouju 'Le Brûlé Lot 60' (50.5%, Malternative Belgium, Grande Champagne, 2022, 246 bottles) 
A brand new one so I haven't found much online at time of writing, but what I know, when we try our own eaux-de-vie that we're making with friends every year since the early 1990s, is that when we say 'le brûlé' that would refer to a batch that's been a little overcooked in a still 'that went too hot'. And yet you could have good surprises a few decades later… Colour: LOL, le brûlé could also refer to the colour, this is like coffee. Nose: no 'burnt' notes, rather lovely clean molasses, really a lot of chocolate by all the best makers in the world, a large pack of dried dates, and some soy sauce, Maggi, gravies, onion soup and whatnot. With water: it adores water and just takes off. Say peonies and chocolate. What an awesome combination on the nose. Mouth (neat): it happens that beginners would claim that all cognacs are the same (same with whisky by the way, just ask my dear wife), but this beautiful rich concoction that's full of chocolate and tobacco will just prove the contrary. Notes of tamarind, wee black figs, Russian (I know) black tea… With water: oh, subtle earths, coffees, chocolates… Finish: medium and never too dry, despite all this coffee and chocolate. A touch of Nutella in the aftertaste (you're fired!) Comments: totally fond of this. They'd forgive you if you said this was a 1950s/1960s Longmorn or Strathisla by G&M.
SGP: 651- 91 points. |
We'll rather choose a younger armagnac in this tricky situation… |
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Château de Millet 1989/2019 (42%, OB, Bas-armagnac)
Some single-estate Armagnac made from baco and ugni in Eauze, possibly the capital city of Armagnac (please no politics, there are several other capital cities!) As often, they would fill a few bottles whenever there's demand, which explains why you would find the same juice with various dates of bottling. The price here is insanely low, possibly that of a miniature of Mac****n from the same vintage. Colour: red amber. Nose: explodes with butterscotch, caramel and chestnut honey. Then pu-ehr, varnish, teak oil, liquorice, grilled marrow, toffee, glutamate and that crazy thing we may only know of in France, 'Carambar'. Mouth: scandalously salty, soupy, chocolaty and fruity. This is some sauce that you could pour over foie gras, Bordeaux ceps, morels or black truffle. Need I say more? Finish: rather long, more fermentary, vegetal, almost tarry. Wonderful chocolate and always these touches of monosodium glutamate. Please forgive me. Comments: not my business but all distillers are my friends, so I say I would 1. Bottle at 45% and 2. Ask for 300€ (good, 299€) instead of, ach, how embarrassing… 69€. Not even sure you get a miniature of 1989 Mac****n for that price. The world is such a rotten place.
SGP:451 - 90 points. |
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Domaine de Maouhum 1990/2022 'Flashback' (46%, Swell de Spirit, Bas-armagnac)
100% baco. Baco's said to drive you crazy… but possibly only if you drink it as wine. Hold on, Bureau National Interprofessionel de l'Armagnac (a.k.a BNIA), our lawyers need to talk… Colour: reddish amber. Nose: varnish, old upholstery, restored dashboard of an old Jaguar, then gentler caramel cream, ganache, one black olive (hurray) and some old high-proof amontillado, complete with acetic traits and the greenest green walnuts. Mouth: on the oaky side for sure, and that's perhaps why they called this series 'flashback', as this is rather armagnac as my family used to drink it, before crazy whisky people such as your truly started to ask for fruits, jams, flowers and, well, 'vanilla'. Finish: long and old-school indeed, that is to say with much more grassy and varnishy woodiness. Comments: hard to score. It's like if you would judge that old Jag we were talking about as if it were a Lexus or an hybrid BMW. Or a Tesla Model 3, or a Hyundai Kona… LIfe is not funny anymore, is it.
SGP:362 - 87 points. |
Happy Sunday to you… (What, what trick?) |
(Thank you Michael and all other friends) |
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