Château de Léberon & Domaine D’Aurensan, Ténarèse
Since 2014 Caroline Rozès has been in charge of the cellars of this 2 domaines in Gascogne.
She is the youngest in the family and was previously doing 10 years in the perfume industry in Paris. One day she realized the most beautiful fragrance she could promote was the Armagnacs made by her family.
Her sister Sophie and their father Bernard is responsible for the work in the vineyards. Bernard has been working in the vineyards and cellars for over 50 years now, so he’s been a good teacher for his kids. Right now they are working with converting the domains to organic viticulture.
The luxury with 2 domaines springs from the marriage between Bernard and the sisters mother. Domaine d’Aurensan comes from their mother and Château Léberon from Bernard. They use no filtration, coloring, sugar or other additives to betray the identity of the terroir and this is very rare when it comes to Armagnac.
Château de Léberon
This 13th century château is where the family Rozès lives. It was a total wreck in 1939 when Osmin Rozès decided to buy it. He did a massive restoration work and nowadays it looks like it did in its heydays.
Here the family has old vineyards (40-60 years), planted on the gritty sand, pebbles and alluvial deposits of the river Baïses terraces. The vineyards are all south facing and planted with Ugni-Blanc, Colombard and Merlot. They produce very textured, aromatic fruit with a significant fatness.
After natural fermentation is done, the double distillation takes place at the château, in an Armagnac pot still.
The cellar walls are very thick, which allows a constant temperature and humidity rate throughout the year, perfect conditions for long aging. All the 420-litre oak barrels are made of wood from the château. Here the family only produces vintage Armagnac to keep the memory of all differences between the vintages. They only sell Armagnac that’s been ageing minimum 20 years and bottling is made by hand in the cellar on demand.
Here they also produce ‘Vin Muté’, which is Gascgonys ‘Vin du liqueur’ – the traditional aperitif all over France, but that carries different names in all regions.
2019 Vin Muté Rouge
Grape: Merlot
Appellation: AOC Vin Muté
Age of Vines: 40 years
Yields: 40 hl/ha
Vinification: Direct press before blending the pure, unfermented juice with 1/3 of eau-du-vie. Then they put this drink in the 420-liter old oak barrels for ageing 1 year.
NV Solera 1987 Vin Muté Colombard
Grape: Colombard
Appellation: AOC Vin Muté
Age of Vines: 40-60 years
Yields: 40 hl/ha
Vinification: Direct press before blending the pure, unfermented juice with 1/3 of eau-du-vie. Then they put this drink in the 420-liter old oak barrel solera.
Armagnac Solera 2001
This Armagnac comes from a huge barrel of 5500 liter, never emptied since 2001. Every year 10 % of its volume and feed with a three year old Armagnac. This Armagnac is about dynamic blending, in comparison to classic aging, making the blending take place over time instead of mixing different barrels when bottled. This method will enriches year after year which provides an outstanding melted finish.
Vintage 1992
A warm summer after a dry spring. The grapes are aromatic and dense.
The nose is as expressive as sweet. On the palate, there is first a nice freshness and then superb notes of quince jam, and salted caramel. A remarkable balance.
Cask number: 18
Production: 450 Liters
Alcohol content: 43,8°
Vintage 1993
A beautiful amber hue, lustrous and limpid. A Compelling nose with woody hints and of coconut and vanilla. Smooth and supple entry revealing an elegant note of smoked tea in finish.
Cask number: 43
Production: 450 liters
Alcohol content: 46,1 %
Vintage 1989
The climate conditions of 1989 were ideal along the vegetative cycle of the vines. The year was generous and early, with aromatic and dense grapes. The look is golden, lustrous and perfectly limpid. The nose is expressive with candied fruit hints, bitter orange peel and ginger. On the palate it gives notes of cocoa with a long charismatic linger.
Cask number: 9
Production: 430 Liters
Alcohol content: 45,6 %