Baron Gaston Legrand 1961 Vintage Appellation Bas Armagnac Controlee 40%

The copper column ran slowly that autumn, and the smell of warm wine hung over the farmyard in Gascony. That is how 1961 became spirit. The rest is time, darkness and an old cask letting go by degrees.

The expert's description

Baron Gaston Legrand 1961 Vintage Appellation Bas Armagnac Controlee 40% is a Vintage Bas Armagnac from Gascony in south-west France, single distilled on an alambic armagnacais, matured in black oak casks and bottled at 40%.

The bottle belongs to Baron Gaston Legrand, a series of single vintages from Bas Armagnac owned and bottled by Lhéraud. The house has been in business since 1680. This vintage was made from Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard.

Distillation happened once on an alambic armagnacais, the traditional armagnac column. The low strength coming off the column means the spirit carries more of the grape with it than one taken twice through a pot still, and that is the material the cask then works on.

Maturation starts in new black oak casks of between 700 and 1200 litres and continues in older casks where the wood no longer pulls hard. The spirit rests there until the day it is bottled. The bottle is delivered in a wooden case with a spare stopper and a canvas bag.

Tasting notes

Nose

Ripe peach and plum, sweeter than you expect, with the vanilla clearly present. Violet sits in the background and a fine nutty tone only shows up after a couple of minutes in the glass.

Palate

Round and fruity. The plum takes up most room, the hazelnut lies beneath it, and a warm spiced tone with a stroke of pepper gives it an edge. The wood is present without pushing in.

Finish

Long, nutty and lightly sweet. The fruit falls away slowly, a dry wooden note closes things down, and a suggestion of lime turns up right at the end.

Specifications

Name: Baron Gaston Legrand 1961 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
Distillation method: Single distilled on an alambic armagnacais
Distilled: 1961
Edition: Baron Gaston Legrand Vintage 1961

Flavour profile

Fruity · Smooth · Nutty · Vanilla · Spicy

Investment potential

Medium. The vintages from the early 1960s are the young end of the genuinely old Bas Armagnacs, and supply keeps shrinking with no way of topping it up.

Did you know?

The Armagnac region is only about a fifth the size of Cognac, and most of its output comes from small family holdings rather than large houses. That is exactly why single vintages this far back can be found at all.

See our full range of Armagnac

Frequently asked questions about Baron Gaston Legrand 1961 Vintage Appellation Bas Armagnac Controlee 40%

Is a 1961 vintage worth putting aside?

The potential is rated Medium. The vintage is closed, casks from the early 1960s keep growing scarcer, and Bas Armagnac is the most respected part of the appellation. Age and rarity are what carry it, nothing else.

What is rancio?

Rancio is the nutty, almost mushroomy tone that appears in a spirit after many decades in cask. It cannot be hurried along, and it is one of the clearest markers of a genuinely old Armagnac.

How long does the bottle keep once opened?

A couple of years if it is closed properly and kept in the dark. As more air fills the bottle, the aroma slowly loses power. Once only a third is left, it pays to decant into a smaller bottle.

When in the evening is it best drunk?

After the meal, as the close of the evening. An Armagnac of this age needs quiet and time in the glass and works poorly as an aperitif. Serve it in a small glass at room temperature.

Who is Lhéraud?

A French spirits house founded in 1680 that owns and bottles the Baron Gaston Legrand series. The house selects the individual casks and decides when a vintage is ready for the bottle.

Why does an old Armagnac not taste sharp?

Because decades on oak take the sting out of the alcohol. The tannins soften, the hard edges of the young spirit are worn down, and what is left is fruit, nuts and spice. It is the time in cask that does it. That same rounding is familiar from old bottlings at Cognac Houses and Distilleries, though Armagnac usually lands with a drier edge.