Château Laballe Bas Armagnac 1991

Great, aged Armagnac can convey a deep sense of place in a manner that is rare in the spirits world, and Laballe’s fabulous examples are loaded with personality, fine textures and flavours that echo across the palate. Distilled in the domaine’s 1923 wood-fired copper still, these Armagnacs then age in Chêne Noir Gascon—410-litre barrels made of oak from the nearby Landes forest—until they are bottled for sale. The extended maturation within this thick-grained oak imparts plenty of tannin and spice, giving Laballe’s vintage Armagnac its distinctive style., There is no addition of colour, and all the spirits are bottled brut de fût—unfiltered and at their natural alcohol level—often from a single barrel.

100% Baco grape. The colour is very clear with a lovely brightness. The nose is powerful, very lifted and complex with aromas of fresh cut grass, some hints of menthol, vanilla, coconut and passionfruit (almost reminding of a young, quality Rum). The palate is impressively round with malt and orange rind hints, well-integrated alcohol and a long, spicy, herbaceous close.