Community Tasting Notes 4

• henrygjeffreys Likes this wine:

  April 7, 2016 - Fruity nose, strawberry, creamy, caramel
  Full texture, sweet, so rich, leather smooth elegant and long
  Touch pepper, some tannin
  Superb

  1 person found this helpful Comments (4)

• sweetstuff wrote: 93 points

  December 9, 2012 - This is one of two spirits that seem to have hitchhiked a ride with us from our recent Australia/New Zealand cruise.
  
  Castarède Bas Armagnac XO 20 ans d'âge. 70 cl, 40 pabv. Purchased on Hamilton Island, Whitsunday Islands, Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia, AU$ 97, Importer: Cerbaco Distributions, 133 Market St S, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3205. (The legal average age for XO is 6 years; this one's average is 20 years.)
  
  Grape varieties: 30% Colombard, 20% Folle Blanche (an unusually high percentage of this high-quality grape), 50% Ugni Blanc
  
  T-cork. Showing a rich tea color and heavy sheeting. Dried orange peel, saffron-like medicinality, mint; very gentle vanilla and milk chocolate, built on a rich resinous, perceptibly tannic foundation. 'Sweet' but dry entry, with good firm attack, and fine follow-through on all the above and caressing summation on the finish.
  
  A typically powerful and expressive Armagnac but not neglecting delicacy and finesse. Obviously not afraid of its roots but still a spirit that could sit on any table proudly. With a little shopping around (which I coudn't do on the cruise) it might become an excellent value for money, even in this exalted company. When I looked in WineSearcher Pro, there were several offers in the mid-sixties, which is quite a bargain when compared with similar-quality Cognac. 93/100
  
  ------------
  
  To compare with a previous bottling out of the Trombley spirits locker (not, however, labeled 20 year old, nor Bas, but probably is) purchased from Schneider's of Capital Hill, Washington, DC., $20/750 ml, 40 pabv. Note that this has been opened for two plus years, but little change is noticed, with the exception of some better integration.
  
  Label: Armagnac XO Castarède 47230 Larvardac. Pre-1991 post-1989 warning label on reverse. Imported by Hallmark Vintage Collection, Manhasset, NY. Date mark by retailer? 01/02/1990. T-cap. Color vivid but a little less concentrated; quite a bit of flaky tartrate crystals 1-2 mm (obviously not chill-filtered). More tear-jerking and similar glass coating compared with recent release.
  
  Shellac, resinous pine wood, sweet Madagascar vanilla, some sweet orange peel, earthy licorice pulls, and touch of juniper berry with less complexity and more finesse than the recent release. Lissome on tongue, allowing liquid to slide down quite easily for a spirit of this proof; delicately rich, with some umami and perhaps a waft of truffle noted; very nice gentle, somewhat neutral but caressing and energetic finish with a hint of vanillin.
  
  A great comparison to make with the recent bottling; I'd gived it 92-93 points per 100, depending on your preferences. [ IF you can find this at anywhere near the price, recommend you bite for a case. ] A wonderful read with this was Rex Stout's 1970 Novelette Method Three for Murder, found in the July number of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. The spicy but illegal female cabby and the Nero Wolfe-Archie Goodwin role reversal both go down very smoothly too.
  
  There is another 20 year old spirit called 'Reserve de la Famille', which one of the notes on CellarTracker represents. I wonder--has anyone out there tasted the two together, or even the Reserve de la Famille on its own?

  Comment

• yofog wrote: 93 points

  October 3, 2012 - An old favorite and my first ever armagnac, this does not disappoint. 20 yrs is just the youngest spirit in the blend. Pruney, plum, vinous, leather, earth, concentrated.

  Comment

• yankswing Likes this wine: 95 points

  January 21, 2012 - Castarede Armagnac Risvere de la Famiele
  
  Really unbelievable. This was just absolutely beautiful and really melted in the palm over time. Highly recommended

  Comment

Pro Reviews 0

• No pro reviews found.

Wine Definition

• Vintage N.V.
• Type Spirits
• Producer Castarede
• Varietal White Blend
• Designation XO 20 ans d'âge
• Vineyard n/a
• Country France
• Region Southwest France
• SubRegion Gascony
• Appellation Bas Armagnac
• UPC Code 3450960000102

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 0 (0%)
• In Cellars 17 (18%)
• Consumed 78 (82%)

Food Pairing

Who Likes This Wine

More About This Wine