Chateau de Pellehaut Reserve Tenareze Armagnac 750ml

On a beautifully situated property overlooking the town of Montréal-du-Gers, lies the Château de Pellehaut. Purchased by Gaston Béraut shortly after the Second World War, he has slowly developed one of the largest single properties in the region. Béraut's sons Mathieu and Martin take care of winemaking (the red, white and rose are all big sellers at K&L) and the élevage of Armagnac. Both are intelligent and enthusiastic about their product, and between them have studied enology in Toulouse and apprenticed at Chateau de Tariquet in Eauze, Chateau Beycheville in Bordeaux and Au Bon Climat in California. Pellehaut is located in the Tenareze section of Armagnac; the soil here contains more chalk and limestone than in the Bas-Armagnac, and the spirits generally take longer to develop and begin to bloom around their 15th birthday. The youngest spend their first five years on the upper level of one chai next to the house, and then are transferred to the other chai during their intermediate years. The older vintages finally make their way back to the lower level of the initial chai. The Pellehaut stock is impressive; nearly 500 barrels housed under the two roofs. The Armagnacs of Pellehaut show tremendous quality and are frequent prizewinners. (Charles Neal)