Tasting Notes #6-10
TASTING NOTES #6
1965 Sempé
40% ABV
Color: Walnut brown with deep gold highlights.
Nose: Caramel, brown sugar, touch of spearmint.
Palate: Soft body with notes of toffee and plum.
Finish: Seasoned oak, alpine herbs.
Summary: Nothing screams bad, nothing screams good. In fact, nothing screams at all. Despite the impressive vintage, this is a milquetoast expression. Keep expectations watered down, just like the brandy.
When to drink: When stuck on the phone with Aunt Edna. Again.
Score: 79
TASTING NOTES #7
1979 Domaine Séailles
Aged 41 Years in Oak Casks
46% ABV
Color: Copper with green and yellow highlights.
Nose: Flat cherry cola, dusty cellar.
Palate: Dead leaves and the dirty ground.
Finish: Lingering flavors or rancio, root beer syrup, hint of Jägermeister.
Summary: A one-dimensional brandy, the ’79 Séailles has an interesting nose, the slight scent of cherry is reminiscent of an 80s Ravignan, but falls far short. Upon tasting, the brandy lilts into uninteresting mediocrity and never recovers.
When to drink: When cleaning out your garage on an autumn day.
Score: 76
See also Domaine Seailles TASTING NOTES #2 and #4
TASTING NOTES #8
1981 Rare Armagnac Collection
Domaine de Pouchegu
Aged 39 Years in Oak Casks
53.7% ABV
Color: Dark Amber with tawny highlights.
Nose: Stone fruit, melted caramel, moist potting soil. Contains an appealing sweet salinity with a subtle undercurrent of shoe polish.
Palate: Leather, turpentine. Average mouthfeel.
Finish: Bitter tree bark followed by cinnamon bubble gum followed by nectarine pit. Wait five minutes and you’ll still taste Angostura Bitters.
Summary: This is a dark, rich, fascinating brandy that deserves to be studied by a team of scientists. The strong, sweet and complex nose stirs excitement. Upon tasting you’ll be greeted by a soft sweetness that quickly recedes, revealing the underlying rustic flavors. The never-ending finish presents a commanding, though unresolved, astringency. Some Armagnac lovers may relish the long bitter end, while others may loathe it. In any event, this Armagnac is worthy of your time, attention and admiration.
Taste the Pouchegu in multiple sittings, each trial will yield a new discoveries and dimensions. Or measure this Tenareze against other control samples; Domaine le Chaou, Lous Pibous and Grosperrin come to mind. Taste in the name of science.
When to drink: When you want to shake up an Armagnac tasting. Beware, it may break out in fisticuffs.
Score: 89
TASTING #9
1993 Darroze Domaine Couzard-Lassalle
Aged 26 Years in Oak Casks
48.5% ABV
Nose: Butter pecan ice cream, brown sugar, hint of cherry.
Palate: A silky mouthfeel with a sturdy framework of vanilla, fresh cut oak and evergreen needles.
Finish: Roasted chestnut shells, oaky bitterness with spikes of rancio, blanketed with a pleasant sweetness.
Summary: Balanced and robust with a superb mouthfeel and lasting finish, this Darroze is very enjoyable from beginning to end. A gem belonging on the shelf of any aficionado. Couzard-Lasalle is a domaine to pay attention to.
When to drink: When putting up the Christmas Tree with family.
Score: 90
TASTING #10
Janneau XO
Aged ~10 Years in Oak Casks
40% ABV
Color: Amber
Nose: A pleasant and soft aroma of vanilla pot de crème, almond paste, cola.
Palate: Toffee, walnut skin, a little rancio bite.
Finish: Espresso, anise and trailing black licorice
Summary: Starting warm and soft with a tender mouthfeel, the flavors become more assertive toward end of the palate and into the finish, which ends with an appealing bitter bite and long lingering black licorice note. Not particularly structured or complex, but enjoyable.
When to drink: When you want to share some good Armagnac with newbies without breaking the bank. No fisticuffs here.
Score: 83
AOML Rating scale:
<75 Not recommended
75-79 Average, contains some flaws
80-84 Good, well-made Armagnac
85-89 Very good, an Armagnac with special qualities
90-94 Outstanding, an Armagnac of exceptional character and style
95-100 Classic, an Armagnac for the ages