L'Encantada Bas Armagnac - 1997 - Domaine Cutxan

Volume: 0.5 litres | Alcohol content: 41.9% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

This single-cask bottling combines Domaine Cutxan provenance with undiluted cask strength. Distilled in 1997 from Baco grapes, this Bas-Armagnac was bottled by L'Encantada from cask 21 at 41.9%. The release comprises 402 numbered bottles, each containing 0.5 litres.

L'Encantada bottles without filtration or the addition of water, sugar or colouring. This preserves the natural alcohol strength and the colour developed in the cask. The bottle has an orange wax seal and comes in matching gift packaging.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, almonds and honeyed wax mingle with maple syrup, dried fruit and oak. A light caramel note and delicate spices round out the bouquet. Plums, dried flowers and exotic fruits join caramelised pineapple. Saffron, turmeric and liquorice add subtle spicy accents.
• Palate: The palate reveals cherry blossom, red fruits, candied orange peel and white grapes. Cedarwood stays gently in the background. The mouthfeel is full-bodied. Vanilla and ripe fruit follow, with a hint of acacia honey.
• Finish: Fruity nuances linger through the medium-length finish, with delicate cherry and marzipan notes. Oak spice and nutmeg accompany them in the background. Curry and saffron add to the spicy finish.

Distillery/Bottler:

Domaine Cutxan is located in the municipality of Cazaubon in Bas-Armagnac. Its name refers to a neighbouring hamlet. Sandy soils and an exposed, windy location shape the vineyards' surroundings. The Armagnacs mature in a rather humid cellar in barriques made by a local cooper.

L'Encantada was founded by friends in 2011 in Vic-Fezensac, in the Gers department. Christelle, Vincent and Frédéric developed relationships with small producers, many of whom have since stopped distilling. As an independent bottler and cask maturer, the house selects individual barriques and oversees their further maturation in its own cellar. Cellar master Vincent decides which vintages to select. The team uses gravity for bottling: the Armagnac flows from a raised glass demijohn to the filling equipment.

Facts: