Domaine d'Aurensan Armagnac Millésime 1998 - 50cl

A single vintage, drawn from casks laid down in 1998 and bottled at cask-friendly 40.5%. That's the appeal of Domaine d'Aurensan's Millésime 1998 — not a blend smoothed to a house style, but one year's harvest caught at a particular moment, in a 50cl bottle that suits slow, considered sipping.

Aurensan is a small family estate in Gascony, farming clay-limestone soils and distilling in the traditional Armagnac way — a single column still that keeps more of the grape's character than the double distillation of Cognac. Two and a half decades in oak have done the rest.

This is the richer, darker face of Armagnac. The nose is butterscotch and warm baking spice, dried tobacco leaf and a hint of coffee. The palate is decadent and mouth-filling: cinnamon, a little liquorice, black pepper, and that hallmark Armagnac rancio — the savoury, walnut-and-old-leather depth that only comes with proper age. The finish is long and gently spiced. No water required; sip it as it is.

This is a bottle for a birth year, an anniversary, or simply a very good armchair and an unhurried hour. Vintage Armagnac like this is also some of the best value in aged spirits — you'd pay far more for a Cognac of similar age.

How to Serve

Neat at room temperature, tulip glass, no ice. Give it a few minutes in the glass to open.

Where to Drink It

Dukes Bar, St James's, where vintage spirits are the house language. The American Bar at The Savoy for a landmark nightcap. Scarfes Bar for a fireside pour.

Food Pairings

Try it with dark chocolate somewhere north of 70%, or a small plate of walnuts and a hard, aged cheese.