Eric Artiguelongue Bas-Armagnac VSOP 750ml

Expert Review

Wine Enthusiast 95 Points | Light and elegant, the mellow aroma hints at vanilla, oak and orange peel. The palate is relatively dry, with oak leading the way. Subtle shadings of vanilla and brown butter chime in, plus hints of orange peel and cinnamon bark on the feather-light finish. Sip or mix.

Producer Description 

Eric Artiguelongue was a Cellar Master at a renowned Armagnac estate for years, but branched out on his own in 2005 to create his own line. With over three decades of experience with maturing and blending, he offers some of the appellation’s best kept secrets.

Eric purchases tiny amounts from small grower-distillers, which are aged in Gascony oak barrels and stored in glass to maintain their prime condition. Eric bottles the Armagnacs himself, with no manipulation and no use of boise, caramel, or sweeteners.

The VSOP is a blend of 80% ugni blanc, 10% colombard, and 10% folle blanche, with each varietal separately fermented and then single distilled in pot-column hybrid stills before spending 5 years in oak. It is vibrant and bright in character, with subtle wood tannin influence and a nose of prune, quince, and candied orange peel. A long finish with a touch of walnut skin astringency is accented with fig and cocoa hints, remaining delicate and dry.