Grape of the Art had a little break but they’re back. They’re the first bottler to bring LRV to our attention.
LaRoche-Vacquié has been producing armagnac near the town of Lectoure since the early 1990s. They are one of the very few producers left in Haut Armagnac, the region to the east and south around Auch and Lectoure. This zone is more calcareous and has a drier climate. The vineyards in this area account for only 5% of armagnac production.
Haut Armagnac LaRoche-Vacquié 23 yo 2001 (51,8%, Grape of the Art 2026, single cask #82, 150 btl.)
Nose: starts on Cherry Heering with a generous woodiness. Then caramelized hazelnuts, some vanilla pastry with burnt edges, very ripe apples and darker hints of prunes. A hint of mint and a subtle floral overtone. A rich but largely wood-driven nose.
Mouth: cherries again, with some cassis and orange peels. However the toasted wood, caramel notes, vanilla cake, liquorice and dark chocolate take over. Tobacco leaves as well. Then a subtle hint of sour cranberries, herbal tea and roasted nuts.
Finish: quite long, with more oak spice, ripe apple, a salty touch and liquorice.
A warming style with elements that come close to old rum and bourbon whiskey at times. They presented it as one of their top-3 armagnac releases but I don’t share that opinion, I’m afraid. Still a few bottles left from their retail partners.