A moment made manifest

What moved the world in 1973: Martin Cooper, an engineer at Motorola, places the first call ever made on a mobile telephone. He rings a rather shocked competitor at Bell Labs while proudly strolling through the streets of New York wielding a bulky device called a DynaTAC. The band KISS also gets its start in the Big Apple, and the World Trade Center opens, as well. Elvis Presley performs his famous Aloha from Hawaii concert, which is broadcast by satellite in over 40 countries around the world. Millions tune in, and it is the most expensive concert ever held at the time.

Bas-Armagnac from the Baco grape variety, grown in the commune of Caupenne d’Armagnac. The 1973 vintage had very favourable harvest conditions, with exceptional weather and near-perfect ripeness for distillation. The wine comes from the cold boulbène soil typical of Gascony, which consists of clay, silt, and sand and produces a floral wine with a remarkable freshness. When grown in boulbènes, Baco delivers smooth, full-bodied eaux-de-vie with ripe fruit flavours (plum, date, dried apricot). They also gain depth (spice and vanilla, with eventual hints of rancio) when aged longer.

An armagnac that possesses the depth that comes with being allowed to age for over five decades. With notes of dried fruit, walnut, and a hint of vanilla, this vintage is an homage to extended maturation and traditional artisanry.

What moved the world in 1976: Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak found Apple, Inc. in a garage, not knowing that it will go on to become one of the world’s most successful companies. They assemble their first computers by hand. JVC, meanwhile, unveils the new recording and playback system VHS, and Jack Nicholson flies over the cuckoo’s nest. The Ramones bust into the music scene with their eponymous album, and the Concorde goes into regular service. It enables passengers to cross the Atlantic in record time, but many are surprised by how cramped and loud it is inside of the ultra-sleek aircraft.

Bas-Armagnac from the Baco grape variety, grown in the commune of Parleboscq. The wine grows partly on sables fauves (ferrous, sandy-silty soil) and boulbènes (light clay / silty soils). This provides not only for a refined fruity and elegant character, but a bit more body, a dense consistency, and a pronounced structure, as well. The summer of the 1976 vintage was hot and dry – optimal ripening conditions for a very high aromatic concentration. The wine is low in sugar and high in acidity, which makes it an ideal brandy. The young eau-de-vie is clear, fruity, and smooth. The long barrel maturation produces an extraordinarily elegant, full-bodied, and velvety armagnac.

Layered and complex, with aromas of candied citrus fruits, tobacco, and a touch of cocoa. This vintage delights connoisseurs with its full-bodied warmth and exceptional balance.

What moved the world in 1989: The Berlin Wall comes down, and the opening of the border between East and West Germany heralds the end of the Cold War. Tim Berners-Lee establishes the World Wide Web, laying the foundation for what will become known as the Internet. The first episode of The Simpsons is broadcast, with no one suspecting that it will revolutionise the medium of television. Seinfeld also celebrates its first pilot – but receives such poor reviews that it is almost cancelled. With time, it gets the opportunity to show how brilliant it is.

Bas-Armagnac of the Baco grape variety, grown in the commune of Mauléon d‘Armagnac. 1989 was a very warm, sunny year with good rainfall distribution in spring, followed by a hot, dry summer. The vines grow in the region’s loose, sandy, partly silty soil, which is interspersed with iron oxides. The sand has its origins in a lake and consists of mud deposits that remain from the time when the sea extended to the area. Low in nutrients and slightly acidic, the fox-red soil holds little water. This is ideal for Baco grapes, which produce little sugar and a consistent acidity in this environment and thus result in the perfect brandy for distillation.

Sprightly, yet sophisticated, with a fascinating combination of floral and fruity nuances. A vintage that marries freshness with depth, embodying the essence of a genuine armagnac.

52% Ténarèze armagnac, 2001 Baco vintage

24% Bas-Armagnac, 2003 Baco vintage

23% Bas-Armagnac du Château

Folle Blanche grape variety, 1994 vintage

1% Réserve Cathédrale

This assemblage thrives on the tension between the rigour and power of the Ténarèze-Baco and the finesse of the Bas-Armagnac components. Baco gives the assemblage strength, maturity, and a solid foundation, while Folle Blanche lends freshness and floral levity. The oily Réserve Cathédrale provides for a full-bodied depth and a dense, sonorous base with subtle notes of rancio.