Armagnac, as some locals will describe it to visitors is the oldest and the youngest spirit in France. Oldest because it was first distilled in the middle of the 15th century and youngest because the Armagnacaise are still arguing over how to distil it. Armagnac comes as a welcome contrast to the relative stagnation in Cognac. Read More »
The oldest Darroze armagnac we have still retains its fresh fruit aromas despite its age. The palate is exquisitely soft, caressing the tastebuds through a remarkably long finish.
It's incredible that maison Gélas were able to continue to produce top-quality armagnac as the Great War raged through France. That this bottle exists at all is testimony to the bravery and fortitude of the wartime Gélases, in whom the blood of their famous ancestor D'Artagnan must have run particularly strong.
An old-fashioned dumpy frosted wax-sealed bottle of Duc de Maravat armagnac from the 1940 vintage, probably bottled around the late 1980s or early '90s.
For obvious reasons it's extremely difficult to find any wartime vintages of anything from France, so it's a rare privilege for us to have this 1914 armagnac from the prestigious Gélas house. The term 'liquid history' is somewhat overused, but we think this qualifies at a canter.