Review #132: Château du Tariquet 1997/2014 15yr, 100% Folle Blanche, 47.2% abv, OB, Bas Armagnac

holiday math problem

I'm not sure how time passes in Bas Armagnac, but this was distilled in 1997, aged in oak barrels, and bottled in 2014, and it's 15 years old. Either somewhere in the process there was some in-between time that doesn't count, or they understated the age. Doesn't really matter -- this is good stuff.

nose: nice very-mature spirits nose -- could be anything old and brown, except for the burst of fruit. Clotted cream with lots of oak spices, tiny amounts of leather and glue, dried flowers, red fruit (esp. cherries), and finally some grapes.

palate: doesn't quite hold up to the nose, but lots of apricots and prunes comes out for the first time. A little oaky after a while (i.e., if you drink a whole bunch), but not drying.

finish: grapey and oaky, maybe a little vanilla.


This is inexpensive, and it manages to have both an old nose and a fresh, fruity palate. Nice combination!

score: 87

Review #86: Château du Tariquet VS Bas-Armagnac, 40% abv

second 40%-er in a row

Must be a summer thing. This is the bottom of the line for Tariquet. They also bottle un-distilled wines, which seems weird to me. I believe they used to be called A. Grassa et fils, or something like that. But maybe dad died, or the marketing people just said that "château" sounds better.

Nose: a very rich, almost foxy grapeyness. bicycle tire and new car mixed with lots of sweet, but slightly charred wood. some nice minerals, and just a little honeysuckle.

Palate feels a little watery, and the bicycle tire + char flavor becomes a little prickly -- a little too much sulfur there, I would guess. Overall still sweet and fruity, though, with estery cherry/berry flavors adding to the grape.

Finish is not powerful, but long. The grape flavors really last.


This isn't what I expect from young Armagnac -- the flavors are (mostly) bright and sweet rather than raisined and drying. But it's tasty, even if a little prickly and underproof. I'll have to get a bottle of one of the older, cask-strength versions.

score: 82

Review #60: Château de Pellehaut 17yr Tenareze Armagnac, Folle Blanche, 1996, 50.4% abv (from K&L)

bottleneck bottle

So I hadn't bought any Armagnac for a couple years because I bought an especially bad bottle. I don't even know what it is -- the cork broke a long time ago, so I decanted it into an old Château de Montal bottle. Finally, through many heroic, nobles acts of consumption, I've finished the old one to make way for the new one. This was selected on account of Sku -- otherwise I probably would have gone for Baraillon or Ognoas. Also: readers please note by fine use of the circumflex. I just figured that out.


Very woody nose. Slightly grassy at first, and then the fruit powers in. It starts with very ripe pears and cherries, and then becomes more exotic. Well, somewhat more exotic: flambéed bananas. Dried apricots, parsley, lilacs, and custard (crème brûlée -- the diacritical marks might be affecting my palate). A young old spirit.

Palate is a little alcoholic and fairly grapey. Some old varnish and leather. Finish is long and fruity but somewhat drying.

The nose on this is stunning -- powerful and rich. The palate is more bracing than subtle. I'll take a point off for the finish, but it's hard to find fault. So thanks for the tip, Sku. (unless the other ones were even better!)

score: 90


+special bonus for comparison's sake: the last pour of the old bottle
generic Armagnac, unknown vintage, unknown abv.

nose is clean, as in scrubbed with soap. some juice box (apple, grape) flavors come through after a couple minutes. very light palate -- almost entirely raisins, with maybe a prune or two and some grape stems. Finish is pure raisins, and surprisingly long and sweet. This isn't bad stuff, but lacks very many or very intense flavors, so there never seemed to be much point in drinking it. You kind of have to focus to remember what kind of spirit it is. (And *not* in the ancient, this-is-so-complex-it-transcends-its-primary-flavors way.)
score: 68