Great, aged Armagnac can convey a deep sense of place in a manner that is rare in the spirits world, and Laballe’s fabulous examples are loaded with personality, fine textures and flavours that echo across the palate. Distilled in the domaine’s 1923 wood-fired copper still, these Armagnacs then age in Chêne Noir Gascon—410-litre barrels made of oak from the nearby Landes forest—until they are bottled for sale. The extended maturation within this thick-grained oak imparts plenty of tannin and spice, giving Laballe’s vintage Armagnac its distinctive style., There is no addition of colour, and all the spirits are bottled brut de fût—unfiltered and at their natural alcohol level—often from a single barrel.
100% Ugni Blanc. Bottled from ‘Pièce n°A1-6’, this is a splendid vintage, beginning with intense citrus fruits, cocoa and vanilla, underpinned by an integrated toasty note. There’s lovely elegance here, with roasted almonds and hazelnuts joining the fresh fruit. Lively yet smooth, the finish is long and perfumed with hints of peach and spice.