1990 Cadenheads 28 Year Old Tenareze Armagnac (700ml)

Part of the Cadenhead's "Malternative" range, this indie vintage-dated Armagnac was released in September 2019. The bottlers say to expect aromas and flavours of "...hazelnut, all spice, malt loaf with melted butter, finishing with brioche, vanilla pods and white chocolate."

Other reviews… This one came from France too ;-). Oh and pst, it cannot be both Bas-Armagnac and Ténarèze. Now, it’s said that Ténarèze are the Armagnacs for the true aficionados, who also love corrida, foie gras and rugby. Colour: amber. Nose: once again, this is rustic Armagnac, but it’s got strength and the assertiveness (what?) that the 1979 did not quite have. Stewed peaches, honey, raisins, prunes, and blond caramel. A touch of orange blossom water. Mouth: oranges, apples, raisins, maple syrup, demerara sugar, peaches, all that in a structure made out of some kind of mentholy oak – which is just perfect. No, not mizunara. Finish: long, earthy, with wonderful notes of lemongrass and, indeed, limoncello. Unusual and lovely. Comments: forgot to say, this is natural cask strength. A lovely bottling by the Scots, a smart move that any Gascon rugby player will just applaud. This Ténarèze is very good, if still rustic and ‘farmy’. 47.8% Alc./Vol. 85 points -Serge Valentin, whiskyfun.com

Tenareze is a transitional Armagnac zone consisting of undulating slopes with heavy clay soils mixed with a chalky sandstone that gives an acidic wine and generally yields full flavoured, long lived Armagnacs, sometimes powerfully scented. While several excellent independent producers exist in this region, it is more a home to most of Armagnac's negociants. Plantings are dominated by Ugni Blanc and Colombard vines.