Samples provided for review, free of charge.
L’Encantada Pouy 1999
Tenareze, 23yr Colombard, #115 58.7%
Nose: Beautiful white grape, cherry, cordials, a hint of ginger, dole fruit syrup and tangy acidity.
Taste: Pleasant palate, juicy and effervescent first, pleasant acid second, light oak third. Honey, jam, dole syrup, peaches, pears, white grape, ginger and a hint of pepper. Light tannin. Gorgeous.
Finish: Long finish. Pleasant prickle of heat, light juicy fruits and tons of syrupy stone fruit with a pop of pepper and acidity.
Overall: Possibly the best Pouy I’ve had.
Rank: 8/10
L’Encantada Cutxan 2001
Bas-Armagnac, 21yr Baco, #22, 42.7% ABV
Nose: Heavy fig, date, cough syrup, cherry, cola and pleasant oak, jammy fruit and blackberry. A hint of fudge and funk. Dope.
Taste: Rich, syrupy palate, jammy and fat. Blackberry, cola, cocoa, tobacco, nutty.
Finish: Long finish, a touch of sulfur, nutty, loaded with nougat, fig and funk.
Overall: Delicious and dark.
Rank: 7/10
L’Encantada Artigaux 2012
Bas-Armagnac, 10yr Ugni Blanc, #033, 49.8% ABV
Nose: Boozy and toffee forward, orange peel, spice drops, anise, toffee, cake batter, molasses.
Taste: Moderate palate, a prickle of ethanol, cocoa, anise, tobacco, toffee, caramel.
Finish: Pleasant finish, spritely and a touch hot, plums, apple, toffee, brown sugar.
Overall: A touch hot, but pleasant throughout. Not my favorite of the series but this is a better intro to Armagnac than half the things I’ve had billed as introductions. Is the price there? Not particularly, but I don’t weigh it, so it’s moot. Young and spritely.
Rank: 6/10