Tasting Notes #1-5
TASTING NOTES #1
1969 Darroze Domaine de Bellair
Aged 50 Years in Oak Casks
45.4% ABV
Color: Dark Amber with dusty orange and deep gold highlights.
Nose: Pecan pie, butterscotch, vanilla bean, white pepper.
Palate: Smooth and luxurious mouthfeel with notes of soft caramel, sweet tea, evergreen forest.
Finish: Initially rancio, followed by candied walnut and a dash of dried anise. Wait thirty seconds for a secondary finish of oak, fireplace dust and unripened mango.
Summary: Everything an Armagnac should be. From beginning to end, a strong, structured, balanced brandy with no flaws or gaps in nose, palate or finish. A treasure representing the best of Domaine de Bellair.
When to drink: With other Armagnac enthusiasts.
Score: 92
See also Domaine de Bellair TASTING NOTES #3 Below
TASTING NOTES #2
1986 Domaine Séailles
Aged 34 Years in Oak Casks
46% ABV
Color: Amber with gold highlights.
Nose: Doctor’s office, Payday candy bar, acrylic paint. Light saline quality.
Palate: Striking flavors of fabric band aid, turpentine oil, nougat.
Finish: Antibiotic ointment, cedar wood, black pepper.
Summary: A curiosity whose chief value is a demonstration of the flavor range possible in Armagnac. Any aficionado who has the opportunity to try it should, for educational purposes.
When to drink: When refinishing an old hardwood floor.
Score: 79
See also Domaine Seailles TASTING NOTES #4 below, #7
TASTING NOTES #3
1997 L’Encantada Domaine “Bellair”
Cask #036
Aged 20 Years in Oak Casks
51.7% ABV
Color: Deep amber.
Nose: Brown sugar, almond, fresh pine forest.
Palate: Astringent prune, tree bark, stone fruit near the pit.
Finish: Dark chocolate, Pine-Sol and a lingering spice.
Summary: A quality nose that hints of excellence, the ‘97 Bellair becomes sharp and jaded on the palate. This expression would benefit from more sweetness to balance the powerful, edgy tannins and high alcohol. Pair with soft and sweet chocolate-covered caramels.
When to drink: When silently protesting bad company.
Score: 84
See also Domaine de Bellair TASTING NOTES #1 Above
TASTING NOTES #4
2000 Domaine Séailles
Aged 20 Years in Oak Casks
46% ABV
Color: Dark amber with orange highlights.
Nose: Naval orange, vanilla crème, trailing hint of maraschino cherry syrup.
Palate: Oak, baking spices.
Finish: Soft rancio, almond, spearmint.
Summary: Enjoyable and mild-mannered Tenereze. The youngest, most enjoyable and best value of the four recent Seailles releases from K&L Wines. Proof that long barrel aging isn’t always better. What would the ’79 and ’86 Domaine Séailles have expressed if they were pulled from oak sooner?
When to drink: Weekday evening with pot de crème desert.
Score: 83
See also Domaine Seailles TASTING NOTES #2 above, #7
TASTING NOTES #5
Chateau de Lacquy Reference
40.5% ABV
Color: Light Amber
Nose: Orange marmalade, hay field, vanilla, caramel, nutmeg.
Palate: Dried grass, reminiscent of Scotch whiskey, but with a fuller, creamier texture.
Finish: Long and strong finish consisting of butter, oak, rancio. Admirable display of the high-wire act required to achieve a pleasantly bitter rancio.
Summary: An excellent entry-level Armagnac from one of the region’s finest producers. This bottle beats many of its non-vintage peers at double the price, and it’s better than many vintage bottles as well.
When to drink: When introducing a friend to the splendor or Armagnac.
Score: 86
See also ESSAY #1 REVIEW #1, The Little Death, 1992 Chateau de Lacquy
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