Deep Dive: Chateau de Laubade

Dino Was Right

I didn’t want to try any more Laubade.

I had a few in the past, the 40% alcohol variety, and they were unremarkable. In addition to underwhelming my taste buds, I’m philosophically opposed to 40% alcohol by volume Armagnacs. They are watered down to achieve 40%, and the water dilutes what I cherish most about Argmanac: The powerful, complex, robust, flavors that pick you up and toss you around like a rag doll in the teeth of a Labrador. I had tried a ’79 cask strength Laubade which was good, but not good enough to alter my opinion of Chateau de Laubade.

So I was predisposed to be resistant when Dino made a suggestion: “We should have a Laubade tasting.”

“Not worth it,” I stated flatly. “I don’t drink the watered down stuff.”

“It’s true many 40% Armagnacs aren’t that good, but there is still some gold to be found.”

“Laubade has ten vintages in every Total Wine in the country!” I declared. “They aren’t artisanal mom-and-pop, they’re as close to mass market as Armagnac can get.”

“Well they do offer some single barrel cask strengths too,” Dino replied.

“I’ve had the ’79. It was decent but…”

“I think you’d like what I have.”

“Nah, there are too many interesting new Armagnacs to try.”

I thought I put a nail in the coffin. But while Dino is jovial in nature, he’s a stoic gent from Eastern Europe, sturdy in his opinions and persistent. He’s someone to be taken seriously, a maven on all things manly like guns and cars and single malt scotch. Lucky for me he deeply appreciates Armagnac, has amassed a formidable collection, and has one of the best natural pallets I’ve encountered.

Dino looked me in the eye.

“Trust me…”

A slight pause for emphasis.

“…I think you’ll like them.”

And that was that. A date was set, we gathered two more friends and set about tasting several Laubades. We started with the 40% ABVs, which yielded some decent vintages and a surprisingly good 1990.

“Wow. That’s easily the best forty percenter I’ve tasted.”

We climbed the ABV ladder and eventually reached the 1983 cask strength, weighing in at 48.1%. We poured an ounce in our tulip glasses, let it rest over a few minutes of conversation, and tasted. It stopped me dead in my tracks.

Cinnamon sugar, candied apple, cedar switches, molasses. Layers of flavor. Sweetness mingled with robustness. Unique character and depth. Nice length on the finish.

“Damn this is good!” I exclaimed. “Can I still buy some?”

Dino was right.

Two Hundred Sixty Acres

Discovering Gascon gold with Dino was a thrill, but it left me with a burning question: How can the producer of a slate of forgettable 40%’s turn around and offer a magnificent single barrel 48.1%? Put another way, if a producer has the ability to craft a stunning Armagnac, why would that same producer bother making something diluted and pedestrian? I had more to learn.

And so I consulted with the Good Book, Armagnac: The Definitive Guide To France’s Premier Brandy, aka, the Gospel according to Charles Neal. Salvation lay within, and Neal’s section titled Armagnac Producers provided fodder for extrapolating an answer.

While most Armagnac producers measure their vineyard acreage in the single or double digits, Neal notes Chateau de Laubade cultivates 260 acres of planted grapes, all destined for the still, “making Laubade the largest Armagnac producing property…by far.”

Given their vineyard size, Laubade must move relatively high volumes of Armagnac through the tiny Armagnac market. As such, they direct the lion’s share of their product to lower price point bottlings, which enjoy greater sales volume. Meanwhile, they parse out the higher quality barrels for higher priced connoisseur offerings, such as the single barrel, non-diluted expressions.

This multi-tiered approach isn’t rocket science, it’s a common playbook in the spirits world. It caught me off guard because 1) Armagnac is a traditionally low-production, artisinal spirit and 2) I can be a bit dense at times.

With the volume and variety of production in mind, there is bound to be a sizable spread between the best and worst of the Laubade releases. Add in the fact that every producer’s Armagnac vintages will naturally have better years than others, and the effect is amplified.

As for Laubade’s noticeable presence in damn near every Total Wine from Lynnwood, Washington to Miami Florida, well, the largest independent seller of Armagnac and one of the largest US alcohol retailers make pretty logical bedfellows.

While I’m certainly biased toward the smaller, artisanal producers and their cask strength expressions, Laubade does offer Dino and me something the wider world of Armagnac offers in spades: the opportunity to go hunting for gold.

— VINTAGE CASK STRENGTH —

TASTING NOTES #32

1979 Chateau de Laubade Cask Strength

Aged in Oak Casks for 37 Years

46.2% ABV

Color: Amber.

Nose: Peach, rum soaked raisins, green cantaloupe, wet playground metal.

Palate: Oak, lemon meringue, golden raisin, mint toothpaste.

Finish: Licorice, bitters, grapefruit rind, quinine, honeysuckle, mint tea with sugar. A Grand Marnier-like sweetness.

Summary: A bit harsh at first, this took time to settle into to appreciate. Something for the experienced Armagnac drinker to taste and ponder, you won’t get flavor fireworks immediately. I went back to the same bottle from time to time over nearly two years, it benefitted from its time being open.

Score: 87

As of 4/1/22 Available at Patomac Wines & Spirits ($275, ships nationally, confirm within).

TASTING NOTES #33

1980 Chateau de Laubade Cask Strength

Aged in Oak Casks for 41 Years

46.7% ABV

Color: Amber with gold highlights.

Nose: Plum and pear baby food puree, black tea, orange rind.

Palate: Cinnamon pear pie, ginger.

Finish:  Lemon zest, golden honey, Sugar Daddy lollipop. The finish has some length.

Summary: A comparatively lighter expression than the 1983 Cask Strength Laubade. The weaker nose is compensated for on mouth and fantastic finish. Contains a certain elegance reminiscent of Chateau de Lacquy.

Score: 89

As of 4/1/22 available at Ace Beverage ($263, ships nationally, confirm within), Schneider’s ($300, ships to AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, RI, SC, TN, VA, WA, WI, WV, WY).

TASTING NOTES #34

1983 Chateau de Laubade Cask Strength

Aged in Oak Casks for 38 Years

48.1% ABV

Color: Mahogany.

Nose: Cherry, apricot, cinnamon sugar, unmistakable taste of Twizzlers.

Palate: Candied apple, candy cane, pear.

Finish: Evergreen, cotton candy, dark chocolate, molasses.

Summary: Layered with sweet fruit and ballasted with darker tones. Upbeat, buoyant, a long arc of flavor. Has turned me from a Laubade Grinch to a Laubade admirer.

Score: 92

As of 4/1/22 available at Woodland Wine Merchant (1 left, $250, pickup in TN, contact store for shipping).

TASTING NOTES #35

1990 Chateau de Laubade Cask Strength

Aged in Oak Casks for 29 Years

50.5% ABV

Color: Auburn.

Nose: Stewed stone fruit, peach, dried oak.

Palate: Strong oak, maple syrup.

Finish: Almond nougat, white pepper, black licorice, unripe blackberries. Black licorice and fennel appear late in the finish.

Summary: A throughline of oak, which at times can dominate the other favors. Good although not terribly complex. Contains some fun sweetness underneath if you go looking for it.

Score: 88

As of 4/1/22 available at Empire State of Wine ($199, ships to AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, ID, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, ME, MN, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY), Ace Beverage ($220, ships nationally, confirm within), Schneider’s ($250, ships to AK, AR, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, HI, ID, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, OH, OK, RI, SC, TN, VA, WA, WI, WV, WY).

— VINTAGE 40% ALCOHOL BY VOLUME —

Most 40% Laubades listed here are widely available throughout the U.S. Tasting sets (‘79, ‘88, ‘95, ‘98, ‘00) can be found at many Total Wine stores nationally, as well as NY, NJ.

TASTING NOTES #36

1971 Chateau de Laubade (40% ABV)

Aged in Oak Casks for 40 Years

Color: Dull copper.

Nose: Yellow stone fruit, vanilla syrup, almond butter, ginger snap, gasoline.

Palate: Fruit forward with a smooth mouthfeel. Caramel, light maple syrup, quince, gala apple.

Finish: Anise, white pepper, bitterroot, tree bark. Good length.

Score: 85

TASTING NOTES #37

1979 Chateau de Laubade (40% ABV)

Blended and bottled June 2019

Color: Deep amber.

Nose: Pine forest, sugar free bubble gum, cherry cough drop.

Palate: Fresh fig, clove, almond.

Finish: White pepper, shisho leaf, black tea. Medium length but without much intensity.

Summary: All around a light brandy. Neither offensive nor declarative.

Score: 86

TASTING NOTES #38

1988 Chateau de Laubade (40% ABV)

Blended and bottled June 2019

Color: Deep amber

Nose: Luxardo cherry, vanilla, plum, pine needle

Palate: Cherry pastry filling, almond cake, dried apricot

Finish: Cherry once again, spice, nutmeg, oak.

Summary: Throughline of cherry and more flavor intensity than most other Laubade 40% ABVs.

Score: 86

TASTING NOTES #39

1990 Chateau de Laubade (40% ABV)

Blended and bottled July 2020

Color: Copper with cool gold.

Nose: Flowers, spice, roasted chicken, carrot cake, rum cake, pepper corn.

Palate: Pear compote, brown sugar, orange.

Finish: Rye seed, lime zest. Decent length.

Summary: Much more interesting and containing more nuanced, layered flavors than other Laubade 40%’s. Very approachable, a great Armangac to share with newbies, or to enjoy when you don’t want too much of an alcohol punch. If you can buy it for $125 as is offered at Total Wine locations throughout the U.S., it’s a great value pick.

Score: 88

As of 4/1/22 available at many Total Wine stores nationally ($125-$130), Empire State of Wine ($149, ships to AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, ID, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, ME, MN, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY), Columbus Avenue Wine & Spirits ($160, ships to NY, inquire within for additional states), Station Plaza Wine & Spirits ($170, ships to NY), Hi-Time Wine Cellars ($173, ships nationally, confirm within), Toast Wines by Taste ($176, ships to AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, LA, MA, MD, ME, MN, MO, MT, NC, NE, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OK, OR, RI, SC, TX, VT, WA, WI, WY), Black Bear Wines & Spirits ($180, ships to AK, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, LA, MD, ME, MN, MS, MT, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA, WI, WV, WY). More sellers at higher price points available online.

TASTING NOTES #40

1995 Chateau de Laubade (40% ABV)

Blended and bottled June 2019

Color: Amber.

Nose: Heavy vanilla leaving little room for other aromas. Perhaps traces of almond croissant filling and a backnote of green tea ice cream.

Palate: Caramel, mint, Pecan pie filling.

Finish: Cola, peppery zest, clutch of herbs.

Summary: Some interesting flavor notes, not particularly nuanced but still enjoyable. Pour over vanilla ice cream.

Score: 85

TASTING NOTES #41

1998 Chateau de Laubade (40% ABV)

Blended and bottled June 2019

Color: Honey-amber.

Nose: Paint thinner, rye, almond, vanilla.

Palate: Fig, fresh apricot.

Finish: Sugared lemon, salted caramel, oak, cinnamon. Good length.

Summary: Lacking a compelling nose. Uncomplex but enjoyable mouth and finish.

Score: 82

TASTING NOTES #42

2000 Chateau de Laubade (40% ABV)

Blended and bottled June 2019

Color: Copper.

Nose: First immediate reaction was “campfire”, although I would not characterize the nose as smoky per se. A delicate almond paste sweetness on top and a woodiness beneath. Sage and citrus.

Palate: Marzipan, brown sugar, almond pastry filling. Slightly oily mouthfeel.

Finish: Brown sugar in melted butter, evergreen, fresh cut oak.

Summary: Single minded in its almond and brown sugar notes.

Score: 81

— NON-VINTAGE —

These Non-Vintage Laubades are widely available throughout the U.S.

TASTING NOTES #43

Chateau De Laubade Intemporel No. 5

Blended and bottled June 2016, C-3181, Draw 24

40% ABV

Color: Copper.

Nose: Soft baked apple with cinnamon, almond paste, dried pineapple, rum soaked raisin.

Palate: Soft and round mouthfeel. Spicy moist carrot cake, soft apricot, melon, orange peel, brutto ma buoni cookie, more baking spices.

Finish: Fruit, sweet prune, gentle oak, medium length.

Summary: Varietals listed as 48.3% Baco, 40.4% Ugni Blanc, 6.1% Columbard, 5.1% Folle Blanche. “Imtemporel” means “timeless,” a nice spin for a non-vintage brandy. Another good Laubade to share with friends, it will by enjoyed by everyone and will offend no one. Will pair well with a mild or medium cigar. A good buy if you can find it around $140.

Score: 88

TASTING NOTES #44

Chateau De Laubade L’Unique

Aged 8 Years in Oak Casks

Finished in ex-Bourbon barrels for 8 months

48.4% ABV

Color: Light brown.

Nose: Crème brûlée crust, dry hay, wet rock with moss.

Palate: Fabric band aid, oak.

Finish: Brown sugar, cola, dark chocolate, hint of pine. Long finish.

Summary: Another trendy cross-pollination of spirit types. Per the back label, “In 2018, this barrel was shipped from Laubade to Bardstown Bourbon Company in Kentucky where it was used for maturing bourbon. In 2020 the barrel was then shipped back home to conclude its transatlantic journey and give an incomparable finish to this Armagnac.”

I suspect the bourbon was better for it’s time in Laubade’s French Oak barrel, I question whether the Baco and Ugni Blanc were better for the ex-bourbon barrel, as this Armagnac is one-dimensional.

Not an Armagnac for Armagnac drinkers, perhaps an Armagnac for bourbon drinkers.

Score: 78

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