Castarède VS Bas Armagnac 70cl

THE OLDEST ARMAGNAC HOUSE IN FRANCE — ESTABLISHED 1832: Maison Castarède was the first house registered in the Armagnac trade in 1832, making it the oldest Armagnac trading house in the world. Now in its sixth generation under Florence Castarède, the estate holds one of the most important collections of vintage Armagnac in existence, dating back to 1893. Their XO has twice won World's Best Armagnac. This VS embodies 190 years of unbroken expertise. MORE MATURE THAN ANY STANDARD VS — A BLEND OF TWO AGED VINTAGES: While VS Armagnac requires only one year of ageing by law, Castarède elevates the category significantly. This VS is a blend of two distinct vintages, each aged a minimum of three years in Gascon oak barrels — three times the legal minimum. The result is a VS with remarkable depth for its category, vastly outperforming mass-market VS expressions. TASTING NOTES: VANILLA, HAZELNUT, GLAZED PLUM & WARM SPICE: Golden colour with an aromatic nose of fresh prune, vanilla, and hazelnut. On the palate, a lively attack with a wooded structure beginning to integrate into toasted notes, followed by warm spice and a finish that is powerful and aromatic. Wine Enthusiast described the VS as delivering 'stone fruit, cinnamon heat, honey and brown butter'. 100% FOLLE BLANCHE GRAPES — GROWN ON THE ESTATE'S OWN VINEYARD: The Folle Blanche grape component in this blend comes from Castarède's own 16-hectare vineyard at Château de Maniban in Mauléon-d'Armagnac, in the heart of Bas-Armagnac's prized sandy soils. These soils produce delicate, highly aromatic eaux-de-vie with exceptional finesse — a terroir that Castarède has farmed for nearly 50 years. VERSATILE SERVE — NEAT, OVER ICE, OR IN COCKTAILS: Castarède VS Bas Armagnac is powerful and aromatic, and can be served as an aperitif over ice, elongated with fruit juice, or used as a premium base in cocktails. A superb introduction to France's oldest brandy category — and a step up from cognac in complexity and character. An elegant gift for brandy lovers.