Castarède – XO 20ans d’âge – Bas-Armagnac 

The nose is aromatic and offers intensity as well as elegance. It reveals notes of candied peach, dried orange and small notes of dried lime combined with touches of caramelization, rancio, pear in syrup as well as a touch of apple butter, Sichuan pepper and a discreet hint of flowers / violet. The palate is fruity, well balanced, gourmande, elegant, precise, well-structured and offers a fine unctuosity, delicacy, richness, dynamism, a fine tension, a fine straightness, a very fine freshness (in the background), fat as well as a fine mineral frame. On the palate, this Armagnac expresses notes of candied citrus (orange, lemon) and small notes of dried mandarin combined with touches of butter apple, pear in syrup as well as a hint of juicy grapes, hints of pâtisseries, cocoa, a very discreet hint of roasted almond (in the background), cigar, cedar wood and and imperceptible hint of Bourbon vanilla. Good length and persistence. There is a hint of oak on the finish.