The French Spirits Forum- Cognac, Armagnac, Calvados

[WhiskeyBlender]

14 hours ago, EarthQuake said:

Nancy, it's always a pleasure to read your posts and I learned quite a bit from the ones on the last page or so here. Thank you and please continue to post. I would love to hear about your next trip to France.

 

I've been getting into Armagnac quite a bit lately, I tend to agree on Cognac vs Armagnc. It's not that I don't enjoy Cognac, it just generally seems to fall a bit flat compared to Armagnac, especially at the same price point.

 

My wife and I went to France last year and I made it a mission to try a number of Armagnacs (but sadly did not visit the region). I had a glass of a very nice 1985 Boingneres which was phenomenal, I managed to find a bottle of this recently though I think it was a different grape variety but same year. Upon returning and realizing that any vintage Armagnac around 30 years old is likely to be fantastic, I've ordered a couple bottles of vintage Darroze, a 30 year 1985 and a 36 year 1980, both of which are excellent and will probably be replaced when they are empty. There is a site online that has ~30 year old vintage Darroze for about $100 and I find that to be an excellent value (the Boingneres was about twice that and I probably wouldn't buy it again at that price, but it is very nice). I haven't tried any of the Darroze blends but may seek out the 20 year after seeing your recommendation. I brought a few bottles back from France as well, the best was probably a 41 year old 1976 Dartigalongue, and I found a 30 year 1985 Dartigalongue in Chicago last month which is up there with the best Armagnacs I've had, I regret only grabbing one bottle. I also brought home Moussoulet 1989, which I haven't been able to find much info about. This one was only 16 years old (which I didn't realize when I bought it), and is probably the most Bourbon-like Argmagnac I've had, with the relative youth seemingly making it bright, firey and vibrant. It lacks the complexity of some of the older Armagnacs I've had, but I like it in its own way.

 

I've got a 1981 De Lord open here as well but with the low proof it doesn't really stack up to Darroze, Dartigalongue, etc in my opinion. Perfectly good, but I don't salivate when I see it in the cabinet. I've tried Millet VSOP and XO as well as this is about the only Armagnac I typically see in Iowa but was not much of a fan. I find it somewhat amusing that you have personal experience with the owners, as I figured this was some large house (this is the only explanation I could think of for why I would find it in Iowa City, Iowa). I would be curious to know if you think they have other (vintage?) offerings that are worth tracking down or if I should just stick with Darroze et al.

 

I loved hearing about your time at Germain-Robin. I see bottles of this on the shelf at Binny's every time I'm in Chicago but am always hesitant because I've never had an American brandy that was anywhere near as good as a nice French brandy. But I'll be more tempted the next time I'm in the area.

 

I picked up a couple bottles of Calvados recently trying to branch out a bit. A 1987 Lemorton and a 1999 Drouin. I'm liking the Drouin a bit more out of the two so far. The Lemorton seemed a bit odd, but I've only had a glass or two of it, so I need to give it some more attention. The verdict is still out on me for Calvados, Armagnac is really center stage for me when it comes to French Brandy it would seem. But I do love a good French cidre or poire! I've had some Dupont Cidres, but have yet to try their Calvados.

 

If you have any specific Armagnac or brandy recommendations please let me know.

Wow, it sounds like you've had an opportunity to try some good quality Armagnacs already! I'm a big fan of Domaine Boingneres, although in some bottlings, you might notice a hint of heads/nail polish remover aromas. I had never really noticed it until my mentor, Hubert, pointed that defect out to me. That's not saying it isn't good quality Armagnac, but it often will have a little bit of that note to it. I've met the woman who makes it, Martine Lafitte (her father was a legend in the industry), several times when I went to her house in the tiny village of La Bastide de l'Armagnac to buy bottles. She doesn't speak English and my French is atrocious, but somehow we've managed to communicate and have many laughs. She's a chain smoker and an eccentric, but wow, her Armagnac is stellar, especially her Folle Blanche. She also uses the local Gascon oak for her barrels, and even seasons the oak staves next to one of her chais (rick house) for up to three years. Her cousin, Pierre Laberdolive of Laberdolive Armagnac, does the same thing, except he's seasoning oak staves that come off his own property. You can't get much more "craft" than that! LOL 

 

As for the Millet, I tend to like their vintages better than the VSOP or XO. As I've probably mentioned before, I know the Deche family quite well, and one of their daughters and her husband are good friend's of mine who own a bed and breakfast just outside the town of Condom. I'll be staying with them again next month, since I'm taking my best and longest-term whiskey clients there to see how centuries-old family Armagnac distilleries work. 

 

On the Calvados front, I know what you're talking about with the 1987 Lemorton, since I just opened up my bottle a few weeks and found the same thing. The problem with it is that it has a lot of volatile acidity. Do you notice that nail polish, vinegary taste? I don't know for sure that this is what they do at Lemorton, but I know for a fact that in Calvados production, they will often age their distillation ciders 6 months to several years in old oak vats (called a tonneau) until they're ready to distill it. These ciders tend to be fairly low in alcohol (3 to 6%), and they don't use sulfur of course, so there will be a big increase in volatile acidity. And then often, instead of buying new barrels, they'll just put cider in their casks so that they can soak up the tannins from the apple skins. Again, I'm not sure that this is what they're doing at Lemorton, but that practice is common enough that I wouldn't doubt they're doing it too. 

 

As for the difference between American and French brandies, wow, that's a big topic for sure! If American brandies are created in the French style, meaning they are double distilled in a Charentais style alambic, use slow reduction techniques, use high quality, well seasoned (French) oak, move their EDV when it is 9 months to a year old out of fresh oak into something more exhausted, keep the right kind of maturation conditions in their barrel room or warehouse (brandy's maturation requirements are a bit different than bourbon), etc., then it can definitely be every bit as good as a well-made French brandy. Assuming that those conditions are met, a big difference that I've found between the two is that here in the States, especially in places like California, the grapes will generally have a brix values here (usually between 17 to 22 degree brix), whereas there is more acidity in French varietals. Thus, the brandies here tend to be much more fruit forward than what you would find with French brandies. Even at that, if you're distilling brandy here in the States, you still want to harvest the grapes before they reach full maturity so that you get a good level of acidity, low pH, and lower alcohol for more concentration. If the grapes are too ripe, then the brandy won't have as much delicateness, complexity, and finesse. 

 

Another BIG difference that is varietal driven is that French brandies are made using white grapes, such as Ugni Blanc, Colombard, and Folle Blanche. In the States, we're allow to also use red varietals for distillation, although they need to be vinified like "blanc de noir" so that they have minimum skin contact. Some of the best red varietals for distillation tend to be Pinot Noir and Valdiguie (also called Napa Gamay). 

 

At any rate, I'm sure I've yakked on long enough about this. I tend to be a little geeky and obsessive when I talk about these type of production things, so I hope it isn't a bore.

 

Otherwise, please let me know what Armagnacs, Cognacs, American alambic style brandies, grappas, etc., you try. I'm always happy to talk brandy!

 

Cheers,

Nancy

Edited October 19, 2018 by WhiskeyBlender

[HoustonNit]

Nancy keep yakking I love these posts, looks like I need to try to squeeze in a visit to the chain smoking Martine next summer.

[WhiskeyBlender]

2 hours ago, HoustonNit said:

Nancy keep yakking I love these posts, looks like I need to try to squeeze in a visit to the chain smoking Martine next summer.

You'll enjoy her, she's a real hoot for sure! 

[EarthQuake]

@WhiskeyBlender Thanks for the detailed response Nancy!

 

I opened up the Boingneres again, I had only had one or two glasses since opening it a month or two ago. I think you're right in that there was a bit of a nail polish remover thing going on when I opened it. That's a note I get in a lot of brandies, usually with ones a bit younger than this so it was a little surprising. Thankfully that appears to have dissipated now that it has had some air time. Now I'm getting brown sugar and maple syrup on the nose, just nosing it here makes me want to crawl into the glass. This really is great and now I'm seeing the exceptional quality to it that I saw when I first tried it in France. I find this is somewhat typical with Armagnac (and whiskey I suppose), in that the first glass are two tend to be "just okay", but once I'm towards the end I really get into it.

 

 

This is the 1985 Cepages Nobles, which from what I can find online means it's a blend of 50% Folle Blanche, 25% Ugni Blanc, and 25% Colombard. I can't recall which one I had exactly in France, but I think it was 100% Folle Blanche or Ugni Blanc (I think the restaurant had both). Usually when I get a bottle of Armagnac it comes with a little info sheet that says what types of grapes were used, which is great, but I don't have a frame of reference for which grapes add what sort of character. If you have a moment it would be great to hear a bit more about the characteristics of the different grapes that are typically used for Armagnac and Cognac.

 

It's great to hear your stories of visiting Armagnac producers. One day I would like to spend a week or two wandering around the region and trying different Armagnacs. Do you have any tips for how to take on that sort of trip? From what I understand a lot of the producers are families so I'm not sure if they have store fronts and it's appropriate to show up out of the blue, or if you need to contact them beforehand somehow. My french is terrible (or rather, non-existant) as well so I'm not sure how feasible this would be. Any advice that you have would be great.

 

Your description of the Lemotron is spot on as well. The nose and finish are fantastic, but there is an apple cider vinegar quality to the palate. Fortunately I like apple cider vinegar, but it's a bit too vinegary. It's very interesting to hear your thoughts on why this might be the case. I tried this one last night after opening it a month or so again, and I feel like it's improved after opening up a bit more, either that or I'm just getting more of a taste for it as I rather enjoyed it.

 

One last thing: If I was going to get one bottle of GR, either the Havana or the Single-Barrel Viognier, which should it be?

 

[WhiskeyBlender]

20 hours ago, EarthQuake said:

@WhiskeyBlender Thanks for the detailed response Nancy!

 

I opened up the Boingneres again, I had only had one or two glasses since opening it a month or two ago. I think you're right in that there was a bit of a nail polish remover thing going on when I opened it. That's a note I get in a lot of brandies, usually with ones a bit younger than this so it was a little surprising. Thankfully that appears to have dissipated now that it has had some air time. Now I'm getting brown sugar and maple syrup on the nose, just nosing it here makes me want to crawl into the glass. This really is great and now I'm seeing the exceptional quality to it that I saw when I first tried it in France. I find this is somewhat typical with Armagnac (and whiskey I suppose), in that the first glass are two tend to be "just okay", but once I'm towards the end I really get into it.

 

 

This is the 1985 Cepages Nobles, which from what I can find online means it's a blend of 50% Folle Blanche, 25% Ugni Blanc, and 25% Colombard. I can't recall which one I had exactly in France, but I think it was 100% Folle Blanche or Ugni Blanc (I think the restaurant had both). Usually when I get a bottle of Armagnac it comes with a little info sheet that says what types of grapes were used, which is great, but I don't have a frame of reference for which grapes add what sort of character. If you have a moment it would be great to hear a bit more about the characteristics of the different grapes that are typically used for Armagnac and Cognac.

 

It's great to hear your stories of visiting Armagnac producers. One day I would like to spend a week or two wandering around the region and trying different Armagnacs. Do you have any tips for how to take on that sort of trip? From what I understand a lot of the producers are families so I'm not sure if they have store fronts and it's appropriate to show up out of the blue, or if you need to contact them beforehand somehow. My french is terrible (or rather, non-existant) as well so I'm not sure how feasible this would be. Any advice that you have would be great.

 

Your description of the Lemotron is spot on as well. The nose and finish are fantastic, but there is an apple cider vinegar quality to the palate. Fortunately I like apple cider vinegar, but it's a bit too vinegary. It's very interesting to hear your thoughts on why this might be the case. I tried this one last night after opening it a month or so again, and I feel like it's improved after opening up a bit more, either that or I'm just getting more of a taste for it as I rather enjoyed it.

 

One last thing: If I was going to get one bottle of GR, either the Havana or the Single-Barrel Viognier, which should it be?

 

Hey @EarthQuake, 

 

Wow, that's cool that you retasted the Boingneres and found a little bit of those heads/nail polish remover notes in it. Martine usually takes the EDV (i.e., industry-speak for eau-de-vie, or new make) of the still at around 52% ABV, and since she uses the traditional Armagnacais still (her father installed their current Siers still in 1975, if I'm not mistaken), she's pulling a lot of heads off that still. I've found that consistently in her Armagnacs. The good thing is, as you noted when you re-tasted it, is that the volatile notes blow off after sitting in the glass, and then your just left with all that Armagnac yumminess! Her speciality is really with Folle Blanche, which has a lot of acidity, and if used for wine, it is kind of neutral. For distillation, however, it tends to be very aromatic, with lots of floral and fruit aromas. Also, she distills "sur lie," which means "on the lees," or with a little yeast that has not been racked off the wine. I'm a big fan of distilling on the lees. We always did this at G-R, and that added fat creates a lot of fatty acid esters, which tend to create very complex aromas. One of the most complex and prized aromas that you can get from distilling on the lees is what they call "rancio," which is a cognate with the English word "rancid," but it really is a nutty (think almond walnut, hazelnut), even Roquefort cheese kind of note that comes from the oxidized esters of the fatty acids. Maybe you've already discovered this note in some of the brandies you've tried? Although it shouldn't completely take over a brandy's aromas, it is certainly wonderful when you discover it in a brandy. 

 

At any rate, Folle Blanche is probably the most traditional grape used in the Armagnac region, and you don't see it in the Cognac region anymore. 

 

Another one of my favorite French brandy grapes is Baco (aka Baco 22A). During the phylloxera plight in France and Europe in the mid to late 19th century, the vineyards were virtually decimated. Thus, they developed a hybrid grape that took Folle Blanche and grafted it onto the root stock of the American Noah grape. Whereas Folle Blanche is more delicate, with good finesse, floral aromas, and I dare say even more "feminine," Baco is heartier, with more muscularity, dark dried fruit notes, and stewed prune. Here soon when I have more time, I'll write out the various characteristics of all the permitted distillation varietals. 

 

Well, I don't want to get myself in trouble for inappropriately proselytizing on this forum, and I might have mentioned this already somewhere on here, but my mentor, Hubert Germain-Robin and I are thinking of organizing a trip for distillers, brandy connoisseurs, etc., next year that would start in Normandy for Calvados, wind down to the Cognac region, and end up in the Armagnac region. We're still in the nascent stages of planning, but basically we would take the group to visit distilleries, pot still manufacturers, cooperages (i.e., "tonnelleries"), as well as do some local culinary side trips. If you're interested, either remind me about it, or PM me, and I can give you more info as our plans progress. 

 

If you just want to visit the Armagnac region, then I'd be happy to give you tips on where to stay, what distilleries to visit, where to eat, etc. Personally, I really enjoy going during harvest and distillation season, although it can be rather cold and rainy, but it can also be incredibly beautiful. 

 

Now, as to whether you should get the Germain-Robin Single Barrel Viognier or the Old Havana, I don't even have to think about that answer for a millisecond: definitely go for the Single Barrel Viognier. It was distilled in 1997 and is currently 18 years old. Also, since it was distilled in 1997, it was unquestionably distilled by Hubert personally. Besides, you'll probably always be able to find a bottling of Old Havana. Not so the the Single Barrel Viognier. To my palate at least, Viognier is one of the most complex, elegant, and interesting grape varietals that there is for distillation. I've never had anything that is quite like it. 

 

At any rate, gotta run for now. I just landed in Baltimore, and I'm teaching a technical class tomorrow for the Maryland Distillers Guild, so I'm headed out to dinner and calling it an early evening. 

 

Cheers for now, and I look forward to lots more brandy talk!

 

Nancy

 

  

Edited October 22, 2018 by WhiskeyBlender

[KyleCBreese]

Has anyone had Chateau Du Busca? Saw a 1988 bottling that I’m interested in. 

[WhiskeyBlender]

21 hours ago, KyleCBreese said:

Has anyone had Chateau Du Busca? Saw a 1988 bottling that I’m interested in. 

Yes, is that Chateau du Busca-Maniban from the Teneraze? That's a real find, since it no longer exists. The owner, Madame Floriane de Ferron, was the last of her family, and has been in the process of selling her family's ancient domaine so that she can retire to the southern coast of Spain. The Armagnac is of course made from Ugni Blanc, but it is really excellent juice. In recent years, she's gotten help with the blends from acclaimed Cognac master blender Alain Royer. 

 

At any rate, any Chateau du Busca that you can find, in particular, the 1955 and 1976, make sure to snatch it up! 

 

Cheers,

Nancy

[KyleCBreese]

1 hour ago, WhiskeyBlender said:

Yes, is that Chateau du Busca-Maniban from the Teneraze? That's a real find, since it no longer exists. The owner, Madame Floriane de Ferron, was the last of her family, and has been in the process of selling her family's ancient domaine so that she can retire to the southern coast of Spain. The Armagnac is of course made from Ugni Blanc, but it is really excellent juice. In recent years, she's gotten help with the blends from acclaimed Cognac master blender Alain Royer. 

 

At any rate, any Chateau du Busca that you can find, in particular, the 1955 and 1976, make sure to snatch it up! 

 

Cheers,

Nancy

Here is the bottle... I will give it a shot.

[kevinbrink]

My brother turned 40 this year so his Birthday present was a 1978 Chateau du Busca purely based on the fact that it was the only thing I could find from 1978 that was under a couple thousand dollars, he has expressed his love for it a number of times to me yet somehow I have yet to have a pour, largely because I haven't ventured to his far corner of Brooklyn. Gonna have to remedy that soon. 

[BigPapa]

Yes, is that Chateau du Busca-Maniban from the Teneraze? That's a real find, since it no longer exists. The owner, Madame Floriane de Ferron, was the last of her family, and has been in the process of selling her family's ancient domaine so that she can retire to the southern coast of Spain. The Armagnac is of course made from Ugni Blanc, but it is really excellent juice. In recent years, she's gotten help with the blends from acclaimed Cognac master blender Alain Royer. 
 
At any rate, any Chateau du Busca that you can find, in particular, the 1955 and 1976, make sure to snatch it up! 
 
Cheers,
Nancy

Nancy, how do the 1972 and 1978 vintages rate?
I may have a connection on those .

[KyleCBreese]

Went out and purchased the 1988 Chateau Du Busca. They also had the 1973, but I didn’t see a price. 

 

1988 was my birth year, so I wanted to try that one first. 

 

I’ll be sampling tonight. 

[WhiskeyBlender]

1 hour ago, KyleCBreese said:

Went out and purchased the 1988 Chateau Du Busca. They also had the 1973, but I didn’t see a price. 

 

1988 was my birth year, so I wanted to try that one first. 

 

I’ll be sampling tonight. 

@KyleCBreeseand @BigPapa, I can't image that you would go wrong with the 1988 Chateau du Busca. Just about everything I ever tasted from her domaine was fabulous. As an FYI, in general, 1976 was a particularly good harvest year, so it was a great year at Chateau du Busca (as well as other Armagnac domaines). If I recall, the 1973 was very good as well, but 1976 really was exceptional. 

 

Grapes have been grown on the sight of her domaine since the Gallo-Roman era (thus for 1800 to 2000 years), and Armagnac has been produced on her property since the Middle Ages. It really was an extraordinary place to visit. 

 

Below I've posted a picture of me with Floriane de Ferron at Chateau du Busca, and also a photo of her some of her Ugni Blanc vines taken during October 2013. 

 

At any rate, please let me know what you guys think of the bottles you get! Again, if you find them, make sure to snatch them up. 

 

Cheers,

Nancy

[KyleCBreese]

11 minutes ago, WhiskeyBlender said:

@KyleCBreeseand @BigPapa, I can't image that you would go wrong with the 1988 Chateau du Busca. Just about everything I ever tasted from her domaine was fabulous. As an FYI, in general, 1976 was a particularly good harvest year, so it was a great year at Chateau du Busca (as well as other Armagnac domaines). If I recall, the 1973 was very good as well, but 1976 really was exceptional. 

 

Grapes have been grown on the sight of her domaine since the Gallo-Roman era (thus for 1800 to 2000 years), and Armagnac has been produced on her property since the Middle Ages. It really was an extraordinary place to visit. 

 

Below I've posted a picture of me with Floriane de Ferron at Chateau du Busca, and also a photo of her some of her Ugni Blanc vines taken during October 2013. 

 

At any rate, please let me know what you guys think of the bottles you get! Again, if you find them, make sure to snatch them up. 

 

Cheers,

Nancy

Will she be selling the property to someone interested in continuing distillation or is that out of her control?

[EarthQuake]

@WhiskeyBlender Thanks for the great info as always Nancy. I hope you had a great time in Baltimore. The trip you're planning sounds like a dream vacation, I sent you a PM for more details. 

 

It's really cool to hear about specific years that were particularly good. I've had great luck with 1985 bottlings, but I don't know how these compare to an exceptional year. I seem to gravitate towards the 1985s for some reason, like @KyleCBreese this is the year of my birth but I haven't been (at least not consciously) seeking them out for that reason. I try to stick around $100 or so a bottle and around 30 years, and a few of the 1985 bottlings fall into that category.

 

I've got a 1981 Chateau Du Busca on my "buy later" list, and also a 1973 Baron De Lustrac. I'm not sure if you have any opinions on either of these.

[kevinbrink]

To my novice tastes this is a pretty enjoyable way to end the weekend. 

[EarthQuake]

1 hour ago, kevinbrink said:

To my novice tastes this is a pretty enjoyable way to end the weekend. 

Nice! I've been hovering over the buy button for that one. What's the bottle year / age?

[kevinbrink]

7 hours ago, EarthQuake said:

Nice! I've been hovering over the buy button for that one. What's the bottle year / age?

2017, 30 years, my purchasing strategy was pretty straightforward, it seemed like a "Good deal" at $89. To me it was all sweet tobacco and leather in a really good way but only one pour into the bottle so far.

[WhiskeyBlender]

12 hours ago, kevinbrink said:

2017, 30 years, my purchasing strategy was pretty straightforward, it seemed like a "Good deal" at $89. To me it was all sweet tobacco and leather in a really good way but only one pour into the bottle so far.

That's not just a "Good deal" at $89 on that Darroze, @kevinbrink, that is a truly OUTSTANDING deal! Bravo on that purchase! I'm chartreuse with envy!

 

Also to @EarthQuake, if I were you, I'd snatch up any Chateau du Busca that you can find. Since Mme. Ferron sold her barrel stocks and her family's ancient property, there will never be any more of it made. I was last there in April a year ago, and at that time I seem to remember hearing that some Chinese investor was interested in buying the estate and property. Of course, she had already sold the her stock, and all the production equipment was gone as well. When I'm back in the Armagnac region next month, I'll ask whether anyone has bought the property. To my mind, she made the best of the Tenareze Armagnacs. What a shame that it will be no more. 

 

To wrap up, @EarthQuake, you will most likely have no problem in the future finding bottlings of Baron du Lustrac, so if I were you, I'd go for the Chateau de Busca over that. Just my unsolicited 2 cents!

 

Cheers,

Nancy

 

 

[HoustonNit]

chartreuse with envy must be insider lingo

[KyleCBreese]

On 10/29/2018 at 8:04 PM, WhiskeyBlender said:

That's not just a "Good deal" at $89 on that Darroze, @kevinbrink, that is a truly OUTSTANDING deal! Bravo on that purchase! I'm chartreuse with envy!

 

Also to @EarthQuake, if I were you, I'd snatch up any Chateau du Busca that you can find. Since Mme. Ferron sold her barrel stocks and her family's ancient property, there will never be any more of it made. I was last there in April a year ago, and at that time I seem to remember hearing that some Chinese investor was interested in buying the estate and property. Of course, she had already sold the her stock, and all the production equipment was gone as well. When I'm back in the Armagnac region next month, I'll ask whether anyone has bought the property. To my mind, she made the best of the Tenareze Armagnacs. What a shame that it will be no more. 

 

To wrap up, @EarthQuake, you will most likely have no problem in the future finding bottlings of Baron du Lustrac, so if I were you, I'd go for the Chateau de Busca over that. Just my unsolicited 2 cents!

 

Cheers,

Nancy

 

 

I am enjoying the 1988. It has a maple syrup like sweetness that reminds me of a 1967 Canadian whiskey that I have. 

 

Nancy - do you know where the stocks went and what the last vintage was?

[WhiskeyBlender]

@KyleCBreese, glad that you're enjoying that 1988 Chateau du Busca! That's quite a nice pour. 

 

As for who bought up the remaining stock, yes, I have to admit that I do know who bought it. However, my apologies, but I don't know whether or not I'm at liberty to reveal that information at the moment. Whenever possible, I always strive to be as up-front and transparent about production techniques, or about inside things in the industry on this forum, unless of course I'm under an NDA or for some other reason I can't reveal stuff. The new owner might not mind, but I just don't feel like it is mine to reveal where it went without their permission. 

 

That said, I will say that it if Mme. Ferron wasn't going to keep it herself, then it couldn't have gone to a better owner. The new owner knows that stock very well, has worked with it for years, and has the utmost respect for it. I'm very glad that at least it will be spending its retirement in a good resting place! lol

[WhiskeyBlender]

On 10/29/2018 at 5:47 PM, HoustonNit said:

chartreuse with envy must be insider lingo

Either that, or just my lame attempt at "spiritual humor"!  

[EarthQuake]

@WhiskeyBlender Okay great thanks, I may just have to get the Busca for myself for Christmas.

 

I got the Viognier last week and have had a few glasses so far. If someone gave me this without knowing what it was I would guess it's a nice Armaganc. This is really well done. I haven't gotten the peach but I'll keep looking for it. Getting some red fruits (cherry?), something floral and some burnt caramel on the end. It's somehow delicate and intense. Intensely delicate?  Thanks again for the recommendation, I'll make a mental note to try more GR releases when I see them.

[HoustonNit]

Either that, or just my lame attempt at "spiritual humor"! ? 

Ba dum tss!

[BigPapa]

[mention=12388]WhiskeyBlender[/mention] Okay great thanks, I may just have to get the Busca for myself for Christmas.
 
I got the Viognier last week and have had a few glasses so far. If someone gave me this without knowing what it was I would guess it's a nice Armaganc. This is really well done. I haven't gotten the peach but I'll keep looking for it. Getting some red fruits (cherry?), something floral and some burnt caramel on the end. It's somehow delicate and intense. Intensely delicate? ? Thanks again for the recommendation, I'll make a mental note to try more GR releases when I see them.

Nancy is the Viognier very easy to find for a guy in Minnesota?