The Castarède 1981 is the round and supple vintage in the maison's current release range, almost four decades in French oak, the classic Bas-Armagnac four-grape blend, 40% volume. ÉLEVAGE: Baco, Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard distilled together and staged through the Castarède cellar, new oak first, older wood for the long settle. The 1981 vintage delivers harmonious progression: the tannins fully melted into the spirit's frame after thirty-nine years, the fruit still alive. A reference for buyers who want the depth of a long-aged Armagnac without the more brooding rancio of the older vintages. SERVING: a tulip glass at room temperature, neat. The harmony of this vintage suits an after-dinner pour with cheese, aged Manchego, Roquefort with walnut bread, or a slice of pear tart. With a cigar, reach for a mid-bodied Dominican where the wrapper's earth complements rather than overwhelms the spirit.
Tasting notes
Amber gold, warm highlights.
Round, inviting, light prune, dried fruit, almond, vanilla, honey, gentle cask patina.
Long, supple, stewed prune, gentle spice, fresh almond. Melted tannin frame, harmonious progression.
Almond-and-prune tail, the vintage's discreet signature.
France's oldest registered Armagnac trading house, founded in 1832 at Pont de Bordes by a family ennobled by Louis XVIII in 1818, with land purchased in Bas-Armagnac alongside Baron Haussmann, then Deputy of Nérac.Six generations on, Florence Castarède directs the maison from the original cellars; the historic stocks include vintages stretching from the early 20th century to the present.The Castarède signature is the staged élevage, new oak first for extraction, older wood for slow integration, and a refusal to release vintages until they have settled into themselves.
