1982 L'Encantada 35 Year Old "Del Cassou #187" Bas-Armagnac (750ml)

The Del Cassou estate is considered by the Encantada crew to be one of their greatest finds, on par maybe even with the exquisite Lous Pibous. Of course, its style is in a whole different realm, but that's what makes brandy SO special - it's a product of terroir. In this case their using 100-year-old Baco vines outside of the extremely well-regarded town of Arthez d'Armagnac. There's absolutely no way to make a commercially viable Armagnac with vines this old. Production per acre is absolutely tiny and even with the very productive Baco grape the concentration of the wines is not ideal for actually turning a profit. But the old farmers here think the vines work well and their old school aesthetic extends to the chai as well. This bold masculine style Baco exemplifies the grape perfectly. Here we're covered in blackberry fruit compote sprinkled with pepper. The sweet savory balance continues with roasted pecan and maple pointed by freshly moistened forest floor. The woodsy almost green quality on the nose isn't quite minty, but we're close. On the palate, medium bodied and surprisingly lifted for the age. Caramelize sugar drizzled over a basket of spices and underbrush. No harsh tannins, but a big warming spice that builds to a long sweet crescendo at the back of the palate. This one is scary good and WAY too easy to put back. It's a stay at home for the night type of drink.