A concise session with four armagnacs recently released in Germany and Belgium, including the first two bottlings from Armagnac.de.
Baron de Lustrac 1930 (41%, OB +/- 2025, 50 cl)
Nose: a mix of caramelized almond and toffee, cocoa bean, some dark herbal honey and baked apple. Dark plums and aromatic peach with vanilla. Then tobacco, whiffs of mushrooms in the distance and warm oak, as well as minty notes. Also a distinct coppery note on top.
Mouth: very woody, I’m afraid. It’s full of herbal extract and leathery notes, along with clove oil and old wood. It leans towards herbs, maybe hay, a little waxed paper and dark Assam tea. Some tannins as well, although it remains beautiful at all times.
Finish: medium, with a firm sappy side, hints of herbal tea and old resins.
Extremely old and from a great house: quite a moving spirit but perhaps a little over the top. It shows beautiful character and elegance on the nose, but the palate doesn’t hold up entirely. Thanks to Wine4You for the sample.
Château de Gaube / Domaine de Lassaubatju 1963 (44,1%, Journal des Kirsch 2025, 164 btl.)
Nose: quince jelly and hints of lychee, as well as some hints of botrytis and dried apricot. Then also whiffs of leather polish. Some thyme syrup, a little freshmint. Subtle hints of damp cigar leaves and vanilla.
Mouth: a tad sweeter and robust than we anticipated. Plenty of herbal syrups again, with cough drops and hints of mead. Then plums and caramel. More tobacco, as well as spicy wood. It gets a little leafy and mineral, with a mild bittersweet side in the middle. Maybe a little walnut liqueur and sour chocolate. The herbs take the lead.
Finish: quite long, still on these bittersweet herbs. A bit of peppery warmth, clove and a distinctly earthy note Pu-Erh note in the end.
I believe we had a similar release from Decadent Drinks a few years ago. Totally in line, with a beautiful nose and herbal sweetness on the palate. Overall a little rustic at times (over 60 years old, mind you), but very good and relatively affordable. Score: 90/100
Domaine de Danis 39 yo 1985 (47,1%, Armagnac.de 2026, 100% folle blanche, cask #40)
Nose: a lot of furniture polish, with cinnamon underneath, some stewed mirabelles and apricot jam. Also orange peels, along with darker hints of mocha and chocolate. Subtle minty freshness and a bit of toast.
Mouth: more fruitiness now, like blackcurrants and bramble, even a flash of passion fruit and pink grapefruit (combined with menthol, so TDL comes to mind). This blends with caramelized nuts and cinnamon again. Then some more ethereal notes like clove oil and jasmine, before it goes back to toasted notes and dark honey.
Finish: long, still showing this mix of bright fruits, aromatic spices and a hint of black tea.
This is the second bottling by Armagnac.de after their Séailles 2001 (up next). It is a truly excellent release, very vibrant and finding the right balance between armagnac’s robustness and elegance. You can pre-order now. In a few days they will bottle the ordered amount (let’s just hope there is enough for everyone) and deliveries start in February. Score: 91/100
Domaine Séailles 23 yo 2001 (53,4%, Armagnac.de 2025, Ugni Blanc, cask #70)
Nose: this one has a cooked cherry / pomegrenate / fig kind of fruitiness. Subtle solventy notes of glue as well, which gives it a rummy edge. Then Christmas spice, a little leather and nougat. After that it turns back to dark caramelized notes and a slightly buttery hint of biscuits.
Mouth: rich and quite punchy, still having this slightly volatile, rummy edge. Molasses, some liquorice and medicinal hints, as well as coca and cooked down fruit syrup. Some brighter fruit acidity pierces through the dark sweetness of figs and blackcurrants.
Finish: long, with a nice sweet and sour balance. Caramelized walnuts and some dark chocolate with salt.
One for Port Mourant lovers, perhaps. It’s slightly younger but the big woody backbone and the dialed up molasses sweetness makes this a punchy armagnac. A really good one and the price was also very attractive (just over € 100). Score: 89/100