Three Armagnacs from the mid-1980s tasted side by side: one Bas-Armagnac from Baraillon (via Swell de Spirits), and a Ténarèze expression from Seailles, and another armagnac from Vergez Bellou. Same decade, different sub-regions, different aging profiles, a good opportunity to explore how each house shaped its own identity through oak, fruit and rusticity.
Swell de Spirits #4 Wonders Series Baraillon 1987 43%
I’ve got good memories of Baraillon. The visit was nice, and the last one reviewed here was a convincing 1989 Folle Blanche. This one is non-chill-filtered, natural color, and bottled at cask strength.
Colour: Mahogany with orange lights. Irregular heavy tears.
Nose: Heady woody notes at first. Very rum-like, with faint high-ester impressions. Plum eau-de-vie. Intense fruity notes in the background, mainly overripe banana. Hints of damp cellar.
Palate: Intense, with great length for this “small” ABV. Heavy tannins delivering toasted shades: burnt hazelnut, ristretto. Subtle oxidised tones reminiscent of a PX profile.
Last Notes: Syrupy molasses. Heady citrus. Salted-butter caramel. Slightly camphory. Becomes less atypical with time, closer to a classic 1980s Bas-Armagnac. Nice chocolate-sweet aromas. Finishes on balsamic shades.
A relevant Bas-Armagnac with concentration, power and depth. I just miss a bit of balance and elegance to score higher.
86/100
Seailles 1986 Armagnac.de bottling 57%
Another Seailles here, and I have to say that I always have high expectations on what comes from this Tenareze estate. This 1986 has been bottled for armagnac.de. Let’s go!
Colour: Mahogany with gold lights. Irregular heavy tears.
Nose: Very rum-like at first, a bit Hispanic in style, with round coffee notes and sugary fruitiness. Then nutty notes and rusticity. Massive Ténarèze character. Discreet floral tones in the background.
Palate: Much more convincing. Fresh fruit with a touch of acidity in the aftertaste. A faint Bourbon-like profile: chalk, violet sweets. Still a bit brutal at 57%. Maybe a drop of water could help here.
Last Notes: Round chocolate notes (toffee). Sharp tannins. Balsamic hints. Back on the palate: strong tobacco, like a powerful Macanudo cigar. A bit more oak with water. Finishes on caramel sweets.
Clearly not my favourite style of Seailles, nor my preferred Ténarèze profile. I tend to prefer finesse (like the 1988 OB 49% that I will review soon or the GOTA 2004 bottling).
84+/100
VERGEZ BELLOU 1986 43%
I couldn’t find much information about the Vergez Bellou estate. If you know more about its history or origins, I’d be glad to hear from you.
Colour: Mahogany with orange lights. Irregular heavy tears.
Nose: Nice rancio at first, with hints of damp cellar. Massive exotic notes on mango juice and guava. Heavy tannins expressed through bourbon vanilla and pine needle. Delicate candied citrus in the background.
Palate: Oily, with a touch of bitterness. Briny black olive and seaweed. Extreme rusticity, almost like walking into a woodworking shop. Slight leather. Finishes with unexpected acidulous red fruit.
Last Notes: Dry floral notes (potpourri). Jammy fruit, especially tinned quince. More refined than expected. Nutty shades on hazelnut cream. Fresh earthy touches. Ends on clove and peppermint.
I expected an older-style profile, but this was a pleasant surprise. Still lacks some precision and depth to go above 87.
86+/100
Three very different interpretations of 1980s Armagnac. Baraillon showing concentration and depth, Seailles leaning toward a bold and rustic Ténarèze profile, and Vergez Bellou offering a surprisingly exotic and refined take. A useful reminder of how diverse Armagnac can be, even within the same decade.
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