The Ideal Armagnac

From late-teenage years until the late-twenties, armagnacs are normally in their prime. One should be always be looking for a playful tension between the fruit (sweetness), alcohol and wood (tannin). If there is too much fruit, it becomes overly reminiscent of a liqueur. Too much alcohol masks the fruit. Too much oak just dries out the palate.

The armagnac should display finesse (the most possible flavorants enveloped within the most delicate texture) on the palate. Like with wine, one should seek subtle, defined nuances in lieu of monolithic flavors. Rancio notes should never dominate the fruit; instead, there these secondary notes should ideally dance along the surface of the fruit.