50 Scent

Three fifty-year-old Armagnacs shine through the fog of memory.

Memory dies with the Rememberer.

We inscribe stone walls, build monuments, paint canvases and lay ink upon paper so that we might not forget.

So too do we possess the spirit in the bottle, a record of soil, weather, technique, intent. A monument for the senses, projecting memory forward.

1975 Chateau de Lacaze

Aged in Oak Casks for 49 Years

47.8% ABV

The summer of 1975 was hot and dry in Southwestern France, and concluded with rain and hail. This reduced the volume of the grape harvest, but the vines imparted more flavor and intensity to those rapes that remained. Of the trio of fifty-year-old Armagnacs tasted, the ‘75 Chateau de Lacaze expresses the intensity of the harvest the most. It opens with a cherry bomb on the nose, vibrant, sweet and somewhat dark. There’s little room for other flavor notes, but eventually secondary readings of fig and sweet crème are found. Soft and supple on the palate, the Lacaze offers more cherry and stewed fruit, and not long after, alcohol nips at your tongue. As you might have guessed, the cherry continues through a sweet and rich finish, the oak says hello, and a long trace of dried apricot completes the ride. The ‘75 Lacaze lacks depth but still shows well with bold and delicious fruit flavor.

Score: 91

1975 Darroze Domaine de la Poste

Aged in Oak Casks for 48 Years

48% ABV

Situated in the Ténerèze region of Armagnac, the vinyard of Domaine de la Poste is planted with Ugni-Blanc grapes which sit atop argilo-calcaires, or clay-limestone soil. The clay component is known to impart body and tannin, while the limestone offers minerality. Argilo-calcaires naturally maintains a cool temperature which promotes flavor and acidity in the grape. Ugni-Blanc thrives in this soil, and the high acid in the grape often yields a chiseled crispness when distilled.

A product of its soil and grape varietal, the 1975 Domaine de la Poste is tannin-forward and angular. The heavy oaken nose gives the impression you’ve entered an old furniture shop. Caramel and dry forest floor also make an appearance. The palate, while still woody, is a bit more forgiving, also hosting breakfast tea and winter spice flavors. The finish features ground cocoa, wet rock, slate.

Like shopping for antiques, the ‘75 Darroze is enjoyable if you’re in the mood.

Score: 86

1975 Baron Gaston Legrand

Aged in Oak Casks for 49 Years

40% ABV

Baron Gaston Legrand sports one of the most handsome labels in Armagnac, a tricolore triumph. Blotched yellow parchment hosts a dark blue and bright red quillpen font. Rope and wax ornamentation drape the neck of the bottle, and a red capsule crowns the top, like the cylindrical red képi headdress of the French Foreign Legion.

The ‘75 Legrand opens with and expressive nose of billowy caramel, red cherry, orange oil, oatmeal cookie and saline scents. More exploration will yield secondary scents of banana, a hint of cinnamon, a mild astringency. On the palate, the brandy is agile and sweet: more plum, candied fruit and a bayonete thrust of cask oak. The finish conveys vivid yellow stone fruit, gentler oak, and long trailing metallic minerality. Delightful, easy, flavorful.

Score: 89