Baron de Lustrac 1975 Vintage Armagnac 70cl

Description

Baron de Lustrac 1975 Vintage Armagnac will make an ideal present for anyone celebrating a 50th birthday or a wedding anniversary from 1975. This 1975 vintage Brandy offers a rich and complex flavour profile and gifting a bottle from someone’s birth year is a great way to celebrate an important birthday or other milestone. Available to but now at Fareham Wine Cellar.

What is Vintage Armagnac?

Armagnac is a type of brandy from Southwest France that claims to be the oldest spirit in the world. It has been recorded as being distilled and appreciated since 1411 and, in former times, was even used for medicinal purposes. Armagnac is also a region, part of the southwest of France, and is divided into three “sous-appellations”: Bas-Armagnac, Ténarèze, and Haut-Armagnac. Armagnac, along with its more illustrious relative Cognac, is one of the two most famous French Brandies. Vintage Armagnac is a spirit produced from a single vintage.

Baron de Lustrac: A Vintage Armagnac Specialist

Established in 1994 by husband and wife team José Barbe and Ina Bornemann, Baron de Lustrac is a small Armagnac brand known as an éleveur-negociant or “merchant-producer”. As an éleveur-negociant, Baron de Lustrac works with a small number of producers and growers (around twenty) throughout the Armagnac region.

The producers age the Armagnac in oak barrels at their cellars, but Baron de Lustrac is responsible for monitoring the ageing of the eau de vie, blending, and bottling the final product. Thus, Lustrac has a huge amount of control over the final product. All their Armagnacs, like this Baron de Lustrac 1975 Vintage Armagnac, are bottled at their bottling cellar in Nogaro in the heart of the Armagnac region.

How is Baron de Lustrac 1975 Vintage Armagnac Vintage Armagnac Made?

This 1975 vintage Armagnac is made from grapes harvested in 1975. These are made into a white wine which is then distilled. After distillation, the crystal clear, colourless spirit (known as eau-de-vie, literally water of life) is followed by maturation in 420 litre oak barrels made from Limousin or Monlezun oak from Gers. It is here, in the barrel, that the Armagnac leaches vanillins and tannins from the toasted oak which lends the spirit colour and flavour.

The depth of colour, ranging from pale straw through to rich amber, and the complexity of flavour increase all the time the spirit is aged in cask. It takes about 10 years of maturation in the barrel for the true quality of Armagnac to emerge. It is at this point that all the balance, complexity and roundness one expects from a quality spirit begins to come through.

When Armagnac is aged for even longer periods the spirit becomes darker in colour, softer, smoother and more elegant on the palate, whilst aromas and flavours of prunes, violets, fig, honey, butterscotch and rancio develop. Part of the alcohol evaporates naturally during the long years in the cask – this is known as “la part des anges” (the angel’s share).

Presentation

Baron de Lustrac 1975 Vintage Armagnac is presented in an old-fashioned Cognac bottle (known as a Rothschild Bottle) and wooden gift box. These limited edition bottlings are only available in very limited quantities. Buy now for a special 50th birthday gift.

Also in the same year, this 1975 Vintage Armagnac was made

Born or married in 1975? This 1975 Baron de Lustrac Armagnac is a perfect gift, crafted in a year marked by historic moments:

• April 4: Microsoft founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen.

• October 1: Muhammad Ali’s “Thrilla in Manila” victory over Joe Frazier.

• November 6: The Sex Pistols’ debut gig in London.

• November 10: Neil Young’s Zuma album release.