Château de Briat Hors d'Âge Bas-Armagnac

One of the oldest houses of armagnac, the Château de Briat was built in 1540 about two centuries after armagnac production first began in the 14th century. Once owned by King Henri IV, the house changed hands several times before it was acquired by the Baron Raoul de Pichon-Longueville in 1864, whose family still owns the vineyard and the distillery. This Hors d'Âge expression is bottled after 12 years of maturation in French oak. Armagnac is usually matured for the first two to three years in new, toasted oak before being moved to older cask so that the oak flavors do not overpower the spirit. The Château does not top off its barrels, allowing the distillate air contact as it matures. The grapes are 75% Baco Blanc (a phylloxera-resistant hybrid of the French varietal Folle Blanche and the American Noah grape), 15% Folle Blanche, and 10% Colombard. Bottled at 44% ABV.