About
The Castarede house, currently owned and operated by the charming Florence Castarede, is the oldest business in Armagnac. Founded in 1832 by Jules Nismes, the estate and its cellars sit on the River Baise at Pont-de-Bordes in the Lot-et-Garonne department. The firm is owned by the Castarede family, who are also proprietors of Château de Maniban at Mauléon d’Armagnac. The Maniban family were members of the legal aristocracy, who played an important role in developing Bordeaux’s fine wine estates and was the first to introduce armagnac to the court of Louis XV.
Now in its sixth generation, the Castarede family, under the auspices of Florence, runs the firm and maintains an “eco-museum” cellar dedicated to preserving their original 19th century spirit. The firm is not a distiller, but rather buys its armagnacs exclusively from the Bas Armagnac, most of which were distilled between 1900 and 2000. The Armagnacs are aged in 400 liter oak casks in the Castarede cellars until ready for bottling. To take a sip of a Castarede Armagnac is to experience the history of Armagnac.
Castarede Reserve de la Famille 20 Year Armagnac is distilled from Colombard, Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche grapes from Bas Armagnac region, aged for minimum of 20 years in oak casks, and bottled at 40% alc/vol. Production of 40,000 bottles.
Tasting Notes
NOSE: Opulent, full, harmonious, with scents of glazed ripe plums,
PALATE: Toasty oak followed with arrays of spices, nutmeg mixed with fruit. Hints of rancio.
FINISH: Smooth, long lasting, with a definite strength from the alcohol but never overwhelming, well balanced. Armagnac to be served as digestive on its own or with a cigar.