DISCOVER

Of men and aromas

The aromas of Armagnac develop naturally with the age of the eaux-de-vie. The heart of this palette gives points of reference as to its age.  They witness the evolution of the aromatic families that appear or dominate over time.

From the youngest Armagnac to the oldest vintages, their evolution is gradual and continuous: there is no abrupt or brutal aromatic boundary between a VSOP (more than 4 years in wood) and an Hors d’Age (more than 10 years in wood).  The aromas in the wine concentrated by the alambic become enriched, evaporate, overlap, mask, transform and are enhanced when in contact with the barrel and the test of time.  The cellar master’s work will further embellish the aromatic palette of the blended Armagnacs.

The Armagnac producers group together these perfumes in aromatic families with characteristics specific to this eau-de-vie and its evolution to maturity: heat on the nose and aromas that evoke cooking and concentration of fruity and floral notes from the wine in the alambic are the aromatic base for young Armagnac.  The aromatic families that follow witness the marriage of the eau-de-vie and wood (patisserie notes are an example) and the slow evolution of fruity and wood aromas.  After twenty years, a lot of Armagnacs are considered to display notes of « rancio », a term that describes great maturity in the eau-de-vie.

The terms mentioned in the exterior part of the palette can and must be completed at leisure because if each Armagnac has its own personality, every individual also has his or her own references and imagination with which to interpret the sensations.  Happy tasting …