Domaine d’Ognoas – 1976 – Bas Armagnac

The colour is more than deep golden, I would say light amber, and the rim is pretty thin, so it indicates it has a fair amount of age here. The nose really confirms it. High complexity here, there is a lot of stuff going on. Far from that youthful and primary notes. Here we have some balmy notes, very high intensity, we have some volatile compounds. I think all old spirits have that, so it is not a negative thing, but is adding intensity and complexity to it. Then we can add to the spicy notes; spice box, with notes of cedar wood, tobacco, a lot of candy, like hazelnuts, or like chocolate coated hazelnut or that kind of nutty, chocolatey stuff. A really complex and inviting nose. Great intensity on the palate, really powerful, persistent, with great length, really multi-layered in terms of flavour, it keeps happening, a lot of things, on the palate. I would say once again the alcohol is finely integrated here, it rather adds a certain amount of freshness to this one. Plenty of nutty, spicy and smoky flavours. Really, really long finish. So I would probably opt for something like thirty years old, going back in time, at that stage it should display this kind of complexity. Very good.

Tasted by the Best Sommelier of the World, Andreas Larsson.