Laterrade 32yr Domaine du Priou Single Cask Bas-Armagnac - 1990

We hand selected this cask at the chai with Vincent this past spring after tasting directly from the barrel. We've had a chance to buy some brandy from this domaine before but not for a very long time and nothing quite like this. Laterrade is a master of not only selecting key casks to save and bottle or continue aging but especially adept at knowing when the perfect time to show them has arrived. Easily one of the best things we tasted in France this year. No surprise here that after more than three decades aging in a single local Gascon Oak cask we have a brandy with some serious complexity on our hands, but one that will none the less defy expectations. Far from being heavy, overly tannic and oaky and instead of being hot with the abv. out of balance, the brandy is lithe, restrained and supremely elegant with focused notes of apricot preserves, honeysuckle, fresh nutmeg, aged black tea, pain aux raisins all overseen by a mix of deep, complex spice notes. Wow.