The famous cognac distillers Prosper and Gaston Delord first produced Marie Duffau Napoleon Bas Armagnac in 1925 and named the Armagnac after Prosper’s wife. Today, great grandsons Jerome and Sylvain carry on the tradition, having established a reputation for quality that is unsurpassed. Their ageing cellars contain Armagnacs dating back to 1904. The great success of Marie Duffau Armagnac is owed in part to the use of high quality fruit, harvested from the best soils of the Bas Armagnac.
Here's the technical stuff: they use no pesticides or fertilizers. The Armagnac is composed of 70% Ugni blanc (for foundation), 20% Bacco (adds roundness), 5% Colombard (herbal aromas) and 5% Folle Blanche (floral notes). Distilled at low temperature, around 54 to 58 degrees, and using barrels made of 10% Gascon oak to give good tannins, darker color and beautiful spices. Aged a minimum of 6 years old you’ll find flavors of cocoa, orange rind, cake batter and vanilla and soft tannins on the finish. Wine Enthusiast gave Marie Duffau Napoleon Bas Armagnac 90-95 points. All this is pretty cool, but the important stuff is the taste. After all, no one, well, almost no one, these days is going to pay $40 or so after taxes for something that the "experts" claim is good stuff. I'm no expert, I'm just a an enthusiast so my judgement is as good as anyone else's. The brandy aficionado will find in this nectar something tangibly delicious. There is a nuttiness tinged with sweetness, like French toffee coated peanuts. The alcohol does not burn but warms. The palate displays notes of chocolate, orange zest, vanilla, and loam, while a hint of tannins lent by the oak carry through the finish. I would recommend it to the mature fan of fine spirits.
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