Distiller Notes
Vintage bottlings are the historic signature of Armagnac. Maurice Lesgourgues clearly understood this when he revived the tradition in 1974, thus setting his estate apart from the other Armagnac and brown spirits producers.
Over the past three generations, the Lesgourgues family has sought to build up one of the most comprehensive collections of Armagnac vintages, aged in the estate's cellars.The "Celebration Vintages" offer a unique range of vintage Armagnacs, aged in Gascony oak barrels for 15 to 50 years. This long aging is accompanied by customized care given to each barrel; the cellarmaster aerates, racks, and sometimes blends these unique barrels, which are then bottled at the estate.
The 1974 is a beautiful amber to brown color, with nice brightness. A mix of vanilla, hazelnut and plum flavors. In the mouth, it is full, rich, and spicy. The complexity and the balance are close to perfection. The finish is extremely long and pleasant.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Bold and full bodied, this has flavors that tend toward sarsaparilla, caramel and allspice, with still more spice on the buttery finish.
Cardinal Vital Du Four claimed that it “cures gout and cankers, heals wounds of the skin … renders men joyous, preserves youth and retards senility.”
Armagnac is produced in the Gascony region of Southwest France and is among the earliest of spirits produced, prescribed over the last 700 years for a myriad of therapeutic benefits. Owing to its ancient heritage, the production method is much simpler than that of its cousin, Cognac, with just a single distillation through a column still prior to barrel aging. This yields a spirit that is generally more flavorful and fragrant than other Brandies.