Comte de Lauvia Fine Armagnac

A delicate, Brandy by Comte de Lauvia's in Armagnac, France that is a blend of young eaux-de-vie made with Ugni Blanc, Baco Blanc & Folle Blanche, matured initially in new local oak casks before being moved to older casks to complete their maturation around 4-7 years. It has an aromatic birth with notes of tree & stewed fruits, herbs & spices; while a rich life led to a balance death of medium length with notes of oak & vanilla. August 2017

Very light, smooth, sweet with initially fruity notes, plus vanilla, toffee and a bit of that French barrel. I usually drink whiskey and this armagnac reminds me of some classic Irish and Speyside drams. The palate gradually evolves over time, opening up with light notes of fresh grapes, dry raisins, chocolate, caramel. The finish is sweet but short. It's one of those drinks that you want to keep sipping instead of taking time to analyze every drop, like you would with a heavier cognac - and that's perfectly fine! This armagnac lacks complexity, but it's simply very easy and enjoyable to drink. It's mellow and still manages to be memorable. Another pleasant side of this drink is that it comes without any sugar, colouring or chill filtration - which you certainly can't say about cognacs in this price range! Although, at this price, I would rather enjoy a more complex whiskey.

Not very thick though heavily perfumed and really fresh aroma full of citruses and ripe berries. Some tangerines as well, chocolate with citrus filling and surprisingly pleasant and refreshing spirituousness. The taste is fabulously intense, full-bodied, sweet and rich for a 4yo spirit. Much of raisins, both dark and milk chocolate, tender and freshly baked croissant, air-dried grapes (resembling to Amarone), brown sugar, pipe tobacco, sweet black cherry. The finish is long and massive with various nice sweet and spicy notes like cloves and nutmeg and a hint of mint. This Fine Armagnac fellow is really doing fine and drinking it might as well be compared to tasting a rich and warm dessert in a vibey, cozy cafe during the rain. There are many relaxing, tobacco notes that completes this "wine-ish" profile. Well, there is truly some luck in coming across such a young but rich and intense exemplar, and this fact makes me one more step closer to becoming an armagnac fan. Or, at least, to trying the next one in their range.