Baron Gaston Legrand 1944 Vintage Appellation Bas Armagnac Controlee 40%

More than eighty summers have been harvested in Gascony since 1944. The cask holding this spirit stood still through all of them, in a cool cellar where light only entered when somebody opened the door. The crop was brought in while France was still occupied. The rest was patience.

The expert's description

Baron Gaston Legrand 1944 Vintage Appellation Bas Armagnac Controlee 40% is a Vintage Bas Armagnac from Gascony in south-west France, aged in black oak casks and bottled at 40%.

The range belongs to Lhéraud, a French spirits house dating from 1680, which owns and bottles Baron Gaston Legrand. Each release is one vintage and one vintage only. That is unusual in brown spirits, where most bottles are blends, and it means this bottle is a print of 1944 and nothing else.

The raw material is Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard from Bas Armagnac. The wine is distilled once in an alambic armagnacais, the low copper column particular to the region. Because the spirit leaves that column at a lower strength than it would leave a pot still, more of the grape's own aromatics travel with it into the cask.

The spirit first went into new black oak casks of 700 to 1200 litres, which supplied tannin and dry wood. It was then moved to older casks, where maturation settles into a calm rhythm, and there it remained until bottling at 40%.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dried dates first, with a thread of honey that has been left to go dark. Then the oak arrives, dry and dusty, carrying nutmeg and a suggestion of black tea behind it.

Palate

Soft and oily in the mouth. Raisins and candied ginger, a note of burnt sugar, and underneath a dry, almost earthy bitterness from the old wood. The alcohol never reads as heat, only as weight.

Finish

Dry and long, black tea and nut. The spice draws out at length, and in the end only the wood is left standing.

Specifications

Name: Baron Gaston Legrand 1944 Vintage Appellation Bas Armagnac Controlee 40%
Bottler: Lhéraud
Region/Country: Bas Armagnac, Gascony, France
Type: Vintage Bas Armagnac
ABV: 40%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Black oak casks of 700-1200 litres, new casks first and then older casks
Distillation method: Single distilled in an alambic armagnacais
Distilled: 1944

Flavour profile

Dried Fruit · Spiced · Rancio · Oak · Soft

Investment potential

High. Bottles from the war years grow fewer every year, and a single vintage cannot be recreated. Long maturation in black oak and Lhéraud's position as a vintage house make this a bottle people hold on to.

Did you know?

The traditional alambic armagnacais is a small copper column, and for generations it travelled by cart from farm to farm during harvest. The grower supplied the wine and the distillation took place on the spot.

See our full range of Armagnac

Frequently asked questions about Baron Gaston Legrand 1944 Vintage Appellation Bas Armagnac Controlee 40%

What is the difference between Armagnac and Cognac?

Armagnac is distilled once in a column, Cognac twice in a pot still. Single distillation leaves more of the grape's character in the spirit, which is why Armagnac often reads as fuller and more rustic. Armagnac is also bottled as a single vintage far more often, while Cognac is usually a blend. The difference stands out if you taste a vintage like this one against a bottling from the classic Cognac Houses and Distilleries.

Is a Bas Armagnac from 1944 worth investing in?

Yes, the age and the vintage make it difficult to replace. A finite number of bottles from 1944 exists, and every bottle opened leaves one fewer behind. Bas Armagnac is also regarded as the finest sub-region of the appellation, which keeps demand steady.

Why is there no age statement in years on the label?

Because the vintage replaces it. When the label reads 1944, the entire content was distilled that year, and the age equals the number of years up to bottling. Age statements such as VSOP and XO belong to blends, not to vintages.

Which glass suits old Armagnac?

A tulip-shaped glass with a tapered rim. It gathers the dry wood and nut notes instead of letting them evaporate. The wide cognac balloon is too open for a spirit of this age.

What does Appellation Bas Armagnac Controlee mean?

It is the protected designation of origin for the westernmost and most highly regarded sub-region of Armagnac. The designation sets rules for grape varieties, growing area, distillation and maturation. If the label says Bas Armagnac, both the grapes and the distillation stayed inside that zone.

Does Armagnac keep developing in the bottle?

No, development stops once the spirit is bottled. All maturation happens in the cask, where wood and oxygen work on the distillate. An unopened bottle therefore tastes much the same year after year, provided it is kept cool and dark.