We start the week with two Bas-Armagnacs made entirely from Folle Blanche grapes: a Domaine Tariquet 12-year-old and a Château Garreau Pure Insolence. We’ve briefly explained what Armagnac is before when reviewing an excellent 30-year-old Darroze. But before diving into these two expressions, a quick note on how Armagnac differs from Cognac will be useful.
The Differences Between Cognac and Armagnac (In Short)
Cognac and Armagnac both originate from France, but their differences begin with geography and grape varieties. Cognac comes from the Charente region, where the chalky soil and oceanic climate favor the Ugni Blanc grape, which dominates Cognac production. Armagnac, from the Gascony region, benefits from a more varied terroir with sandy and clay-limestone soils, allowing a wider range of grapes including Ugni Blanc, Baco, Folle Blanche, and Colombard, which contributes to its distinctive aroma and flavour profiles.
The methods of distillation also set these brandies apart significantly. Cognac undergoes a double distillation with a traditional copper pot still, called the Charentais still. This process creates a lighter, more refined spirit by distilling a low-alcohol wine twice, removing impurities and concentrating delicate flavours. In contrast, Armagnac is usually distilled once in a continuous column still, preserving more of the wine’s original character and resulting in a richer, more robust spirit often with lower alcohol strength on exit.
Aging practices vary too. Both are aged in mainly Limousin oak casks, but Armagnac may also use Gascony oak, which imparts more pronounced tannins, spice, and colour. Armagnac is often aged longer, developing deeper complexity and earthy, rustic notes, while Cognac tends to maintain a lighter and more floral profile.
For more detailed explanations, I invite you to read this very well explained page at Arton.
Domaine Tariquet Pure Folle Blanche 12-year-old Review
We start with Domaine Tariquet Bas-Armagnac, crafted exclusively from the Folle Blanche grape and aged for 12 years. The distillery matures this Bas-Armagnac initially in virgin French oak barriques, before transferring it to used barrels for further ageing. They bottle it at 48.2% ABV, marking it as cask strength with natural colour. It enjoys wide availability at around €55 per bottle in France, €45 in the Netherlands, about $90 in the US, and £52 in the UK.
Colour:
Russet.
Nose:
Neat: The nose greets with vibrant freshness, bursting with bright oranges, clementines, lemons, white peaches, and crisp apples. Delicate floral notes intertwine with soft vanilla and gentle spices.
With water: Adding water introduces the wood more clearly, yet contained, alongside subtle hints of cherry stems, stones, and a touch of lukewarm custard.
Palate:
Neat: The palate feels lively and silky, radiating intense freshness. It opens with pronounced candied pineapple, citrus zest, and warm nutmeg. White pepper and subtle spices underscore the fruit character, accompanied by a gentle minerality. Notes of milk chocolate, vanilla, and flower honey deepen the experience, with a creamy texture that builds richness toward the mid-palate.
With water: Reduction brings a brief sweetness before giving way to citrus flavors, finishing with a pleasant sourness reminiscent of grapefruit.
Finish:
The finish is elegant and lingers well, evolving with liquorice and walnut notes and a hint of rancio. Fruit and spice hold firm and clean, rounded out by subtle dried fruit tones and a faint whisper of oak.
Comments:
This Bas-Armagnac from Domaine Tariquet charms with a lively and radiant character, far from the dusty, heavily woody reputation sometimes associated with the spirit. It showcases a finely tuned balance of freshness and subtle oak influence, cultivated through ageing in carefully selected lightly toasted barrels. The result is a bright, elegant Bas-Armagnac.
Rating: 7/10
Domaine Garreau Pure Insolence Bas-Armagnac Review
We continue with Domaine Garreau’s Pure Insolence Bas Armagnac, crafted exclusively from Folle Blanche grapes harvested from a single parcel. The estate distilled the spirit in 2016 using a historic 1919 Sier still. Domaine Garreau matured this Bas-Armagnac for just one year in their underground warehouse, spending several months in a new barrique before moving it to a used one. They bottled the expression at a robust cask strength of 56.8% ABV.
Colour:
Yellow gold.
Nose:
Neat: The nose leads with pronounced floral tones, light vanilla, and fruit—think orchard fruits, grapes and subtle citrus. A youthful vibrancy carries through, with the wood influence still light but present. Slightly spicy and fresh, the nose feels energetic and clean.
With water: Water reveals a strong grape aroma, with flesh and skin, almost cloying, alongside forest honey and fruit skin compost.
Palate:
Neat: Fruit takes centre stage: the spirit is bright, with yellow plum, a touch of apple, and hints of citrus. Decaying and fermenting grapes and compost give an earthy and vegetal flavour, a bit disorienting. Vanilla and gentle spices ride alongside, while the alcohol is integrated and doesn’t feel as high as the ABV. There’s a clear freshness, minimal oak heaviness, and a supple feel. There is also a subtle herbaceous element underneath the fruit.
With water: Reduction balances the palate, revealing more alcohol but tempering the compost flavours. The palate feels more herbal, and really puts the grapes in front.
Finish:
The finish is long and lightly spiced. Fruit and floral notes linger, joined by a developing vanilla and a touch of youthful heat. Despite its cask strength, the Armagnac remains approachable and fresh, leaving a clean, fruity-spicy aftertaste.
Comments:
The Garreau Pure Insolence Bas-Armagnac presents as fresh and youthful, though it carries some off notes that make it challenging to rate definitively. It reveals a lively character with bright fruit and spice, while its raw edges hint at the spirit’s spirited personality. The distinctiveness of the Folle Blanche grape and the brief, precise maturation shape an expressive but somewhat unrefined profile. This armagnac’s energy and uniqueness may appeal to fans of bold, artisanal expressions, even if it defies easy categorization or comparison.