Castarède 1936
Armagnac, 700 ml
Attributes
| Grape variety: | Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Baco, Folle blanche |
| Producer: | Bas Armagnac Castarède / Fam. Castarède |
| Origin: | France / Armagnac |
| Other vintages: | 1920 |
| Maturation: | in partly new and used barriques/ Pièces |
| Volume: | 40.0 % |
Baco
The delicate grape that defeated the philloxera
Folle blanche
Is undergoing a fascinating renaissance
This rare white grape variety was discovered in the 14th century, and grows mostly on the French Atlantic coast. It bears many interesting nicknames, with translations such as "tantrum" or "lush plant." The latter of these is particularly apposite, as the vine has a truly astonishing lushness and huge yield.
Many years ago, this vine enjoyed particular recognition in the world of distillation. Its grapes were one of the most important components in the production of Armagnac and Cognac. This is because the berries of Folle Blanche provide high acidity but low aroma, qualities that distilleries desire.
After the phylloxera catastrophe in 1884, the variety completely disappeared and was replaced by hybrid vines. Folle Blanche was only promoted again after the EU ban on hybrid vines, and since then the variety has undergone a renaissance.
Wegen der Reblaus-Katastrophe im Jahr 1884 verschwand die Rebsorte vollständig und wurde durch Hybridreben ersetzt. Erst durch das EU-Verbot von Hybridreben wurde die Anpflanzung der Folle Blanche wieder gefördert und seither erlebt die Rebe eine Renaissance.
Colombard
Cognac ingredient and summer wine grapes
The Colombard, along with Ugni Blanc and Folle Blanche, provides the base wines for Cognac and Armagnac. Among the three varieties, it is considered qualitatively less interesting, because it has a lot of alcohol and relatively low acidity. For this reason, its cultivation area has markedly shrunk since the 1970s. But today it is making a comeback as a supplier of cheap, citrus-fresh, florally-fragrant summer wines. The home of Colombard lies in the Charente region on the French Atlantic coast. Its name stems from the French “colombier”, a dovecote – not because the variety attracts the birds, but because of the bright colour of its berries.
Armagnac
Armagnac: high-percentage, high-standing, authentic
Gascony, in southwestern France, has retained its authentic rural charm to this day. Very similar traits are attributed to the brandy originating from here, Armagnac. While young Armagnac can taste lively and fiery, old, decades-aged selections reveal enormous finesse with unique character. Vintage bottlings are particularly exclusive – and accordingly expensive.
France
France – Philosophy in a bottle
According to French philosophy, wine should be an expression of the soil and climate. They use the word “terroir” to describe this. Terroir makes every wine different, and many especially good. French wine is regarded worldwide as an expression of cultural perfection. The French believe that humans are responsible for the quality of the berries, the vine variety for their character, and nature for the quantity. This philosophy can be expressed succinctly as: “the truth is the vineyard, not the man.”
