Baron Gaston Legrand 1946 Vintage Appellation Bas Armagnac Controlee 40%

September in Bas Armagnac smells of fermenting must and wet ground. It smelled that way in 1946 too, when the grapes for this bottle were unloaded and pressed. Everything that has happened since happened in a dark room, very slowly.

The expert's description

Baron Gaston Legrand 1946 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 Baron Gaston Legrand range is owned and bottled by Lhéraud, which has been making French spirits since 1680. Every bottle in the range is a single vintage, and here it is 1946. The label acts as the vintage guarantee, and the bottle comes in a wooden box with a canvas bag and a spare stopper.

Bas Armagnac is the westernmost sub-region of the appellation and the one held in highest regard. The grapes are Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard, which produce a sharp, low-strength wine. That wine is distilled once in an alambic armagnacais, and the single pass is what gives Armagnac its full, grape-driven character.

The cask history is short to tell and long to live: new black oak casks of 700 to 1200 litres first, bringing tannin and dry wood, then older casks where the pace drops and maturation turns harmonious. There the spirit stayed until it was bottled at 40%.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dried apricot and hazelnut, with a floral note behind them leaning towards violet. The cask shows up as warm oak and a puff of vanilla rather than as dry timber.

Palate

Round and slightly oily. Shrivelled peach, roasted nuts and a note of nougat. The spice is mild, mostly cinnamon, and a restrained sweetness runs the whole length of the palate.

Finish

Long and soft. The nut hangs on, violet and oak settle underneath, and a dry wood note closes the whole thing down.

Specifications

Name: Baron Gaston Legrand 1946 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: 1946

Flavour profile

Dried Fruit · Nutty · Floral · Vanilla · Soft

Investment potential

High. No more Bas Armagnac will be made from 1946, and the bottles that remain are steadily being drunk. The age, the single vintage and a house with Lhéraud's history behind it make this bottle hard to find again once it is gone.

Did you know?

Bas Armagnac sits on sandy, iron-rich soil the French call sables fauves. That soil holds water poorly, and it is part of the reason spirits from here turn out finer and more floral than those from the heavier clay soils further east.

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Frequently asked questions about Baron Gaston Legrand 1946 Vintage Appellation Bas Armagnac Controlee 40%

Why is Bas Armagnac considered the best sub-region?

Because the soil and the climate produce the finest spirits. Bas Armagnac lies furthest west, closest to the Atlantic, and its sandy soils give floral, elegant distillates that survive many years in cask. The other sub-regions are Ténarèze and Haut Armagnac. The division into sub-regions mirrors the one the Cognac Houses and Distilleries work by further north, where Grande Champagne holds the same first place.

Is a 1946 vintage worth investing in?

Yes, and for concrete reasons. The vintage was distilled once, bottled once, and there will be no more. High age, Bas Armagnac as the origin and Lhéraud as the bottler together make the bottle sought after by collectors.

Does old Armagnac need air before drinking?

Give it ten to fifteen minutes in the glass. After decades in cask the aromatics are tightly packed, and they open up once the spirit meets air. Longer decanting is unnecessary, and the bottle should not be left standing open for days.

At what temperature should it be served?

At ordinary room temperature, around 18 to 20 degrees. Never warm the glass over a flame the way people once did. Heat drives the alcohol up and burns off the fine floral notes, and this vintage has plenty of them.

What does it go with after a meal?

Dark chocolate, walnuts or a mature hard cheese. The sweetness of dried fruit and nougat plays against the bitterness in the chocolate, while nuts follow the bottle's own nutty line. Heavy citrus desserts are best avoided.

Which grape varieties are used?

Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard, all grown in Bas Armagnac. Ugni Blanc supplies acidity and staying power, Folle Blanche brings floral finesse, and Colombard contributes fruit and spice. The combination is typical of the region.