1994 Chateau de Pellehaut 24 Year Old "Folle Blanche" Vintage Tenareze Armagnac (750ml)

$99.99

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K&L Buyer

The astonishing 94 Folle Blanche from Pellehaut is testament to this special varietal and the uncompromising producer themselves. While Pellehaut uses a hefty dose of new oak, this age offers perfect balance between the elegant nuances of the spirits and the deep spice of the Gascogne oak. Expect a purity and adroitness on the nose rarely scene in any spirit. The bouquet is full of dried cranberries, flambeed orange peel, sandalwood, eucalyptus, candied apricots and persimmon. On the palate the fruit and spice are on full display at the front, while the herbal almost minty quality of the Gascogne oak takes over on the end. Not as deep and long as the older bottles, but with a sense of elegance and tension that the older bottlings lack. This is what I dream for Folle Blanche to taste like. Sometimes the special difficult to grow rarity delivers just what we ordered.

Staff Reviews

Will Blakely

This is exactly the sort of geeky bottle that makes Armagnac such an enticing spirit. Grape-based distillate already requires a Herculean effort to create, but to use 100% Folle Blanche? Pure insanity. I can't even begin to imagine the care and time that went into this brandy, but the payoff is evident in the quality of the final product. Wildly aromatic and just as flavorful, this rides a fine line between careful composition and unchecked hedonism. The nose boasts an amalgam of ripe citrus zest, gentle spice, spring flowers and just a touch of furniture polish. The palate reveals further mandarin, marmalade, hazelnut and vanilla accentuated by candied ginger, cardamom and clove. With perfectly integrated acid and just enough wood on the finish to counteract the inherent sweetness, it all culminates in a package that you'd expect to cost twice as much. Don't sleep on this one, or you'll sorely regret it.

Notes

While Bas-Armagnac gets all the press, and the Haut-Armagnac gets completely ignored, the Tenareze region of Armagnac is quietly producing some of the best brandies in the world. Much like the Borderies region in Cognac, the Tenareze brandies seem to have more fruit and a bit more life than the more classic Armagnac style. We visited Chateau Pellehaut on our first day in Armagnac last January and were completely overwhelmed by the quality of spirit. Using only new or first fill barrels for the beginning years of maturation, the Armagnacs have richness, weight, and spice. This incredible vintage of distilled from 100% Folle Blanche showcases the incredible depth and purity that the Chateau can obtain without masking the inherent quality of the spirit completely by oak. The fruit character is at the forefront--that little flurry of spice and floral nature that Folle Blanche tends to bring to the party. Again, the quality to price ratio is off the charts. No one can top Pellehaut in the bang for your buck category.

Details

Origin	Armagnac-Tenareze, Armagnac, France
Type/Varietal	Armagnac
Alcohol Content	48%
SKU	1173762