Baron Gaston Legrand 1951 Vintage Appellation Bas Armagnac Controlee 40%

A vintage is a receipt. The label says 1951, and behind that number lies one particular summer, one particular harvest and a wine that was never drunk but run through a copper column and poured into cask the same autumn.

The expert's description

Baron Gaston Legrand 1951 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 vintage range is owned and bottled by Lhéraud, making French spirits since 1680. Everything in this bottle comes from 1951, with no spirit from other years blended in. The bottle arrives 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 that yields the finest spirits. The grapes are Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard, and the wine they make is distilled once in an alambic armagnacais. That single distillation is the whole difference between Armagnac and Cognac.

Maturation began in new black oak casks of between 700 and 1200 litres, where the tannins went in, and continued in older casks where the spirit was left to settle. There it lay for decades until it was bottled at 40%.

Tasting notes

Nose

Fresh for its age. Ripe pear and lime peel, a floral note pulling towards violet, and a light honeyed sweetness behind. The wood is present but keeps to the background.

Palate

Round and lively. Peach and pear ride on a lightly syrupy sweetness while the lime holds everything taut. The spice is soft, mostly allspice, and the finish starts while the spirit is still in the mouth.

Finish

Dry and medium-long with violet, honey and a hint of pepper. It closes cleanly and without bitterness.

Specifications

Name: Baron Gaston Legrand 1951 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: 1951

Flavour profile

Fruity · Floral · Honeyed · Citrus · Fresh

Investment potential

Medium. The age is there, and old vintages from Bas Armagnac are increasingly hard to source. 1951 also sits among the younger bottles in the range, which makes the scarcity less pronounced than for the vintages from the forties.

Did you know?

The Armagnac region today covers only about a fifth of the area of Cognac. Phylloxera hit the vineyards hard in the late 19th century and they never returned to their old size, which explains much of why old vintages from here are so few.

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Frequently asked questions about Baron Gaston Legrand 1951 Vintage Appellation Bas Armagnac Controlee 40%

Why are there so few old vintages of Bas Armagnac?

Because the region is small and the bottles get drunk. Armagnac accounts for a fraction of Cognac's output, and a single harvest does not fill many casks. Once those casks are empty, the vintage exists only in the unopened bottles still standing somewhere.

Is a Bas Armagnac from 1951 worth investing in?

It holds fair long-term potential. The vintage is closed, the age is high, and Bas Armagnac is the most highly regarded sub-region of the appellation. The scarcity is not quite as pronounced as for the oldest vintages in the range.

Can a vintage Armagnac be used in cocktails?

It can, but it is rarely a good idea with a bottle of this age. The floral notes and the light honeyed sweetness vanish behind sugar, citrus and bitters. If you want to mix Armagnac, use a younger bottle and keep the vintage for drinking neat.

What is the difference between Vintage and designations such as VSOP and XO?

Vintage means one single harvest, while VSOP and XO are blends with a minimum age requirement. On a vintage bottle the entire content is from the same year, whereas an XO may hold spirits from many different years, with only the youngest counting towards the designation. VSOP and XO are designations you meet most often at Cognac Houses and Distilleries, while the vintage bottle is Armagnac's own signature.

How long did it spend in cask?

From the 1951 harvest through to bottling, so many decades. Armagnac does not mature further in the bottle, which means all the development in flavour happened in the oak. First on new wood, then in old casks where the process turns slow and steady.

What comes with the bottle?

A wooden box, a canvas bag and a spare stopper. The spare stopper is useful because the original cork on old bottles can be dry and fragile once it has been pulled. The box also makes the bottle straightforward to give as a present.