Tasting notes

Here is the history of our tastings conducted by professionals for many years :

Our vintages:

Some vintages no longer exist today. The taste changes over the months as our Armagnacs are still evolving in oak barrels .

1888
This Armagnac distilled in 1888 has a nice colour with some copper tints.
The nose is very intense, very agreeable and wooded. We can find some touches of leather, apricot and crystallised fruits.
In the mouth, the attack is very smooth and some hints of rancio quickly appear.
Despite its old age, this armagnac is still very powerfull.

1893
Deep mature leather colour.Inviting nose with touches of vanilla, wild stawberries and other red beries.Great taste of almond, marzipan and berries.Nice acidity, balanced in alcohol.

1900
It was CASTAREDE armagnacs that was served after the most expensive meal of the year at the Gavroche restaurant in London and the Amateur de Bordeaux selected our 1900 vintage as one of the twelve bottle to purchase to enter the new millenium.
"Even before the first taste, as soon as the bottle is opened, the aroma of the Castarède 1900 Armagnac fills the room. The mouth is struck by the mildness and force that manifest immediately with an unimaginable suavity, a surprising roundness and above all a long finish that seems like a moment of eternity. And in the room, this persistent, perfect aroma, perhaps the odour of paradise.

1904
Intense amber colour, green tints, limpid eau de vie. Nose: aromas of coffee, prunes, vanilla, no agressivity. Mouth : rich touches of prunes, fine eau de vie.

1905
Dark eau de vie, deep amber colour.Nose of prunes. Mouth: noble and dynamic, very long, sensation of old  leather. Can be tasted with black chocolate or cigar.

1914
Brown Armagnac .Nose: leather, prunes. Mouth: very powerful even if very old and wooded.

1924
Obtained 19/20 during a tasting organised by « Wine Magazine » in 2000. Nose of Caramel, fruit, wood and vanilla, very complex. Smooth in the mouth, long pepper,vanilla and fruit finish. Excellent mellow and smooth yet rich and complex. A voluptuous Armagnac.

1931
Coppery and brilliant colour. Nose : Spices, dry prunes, light oak. Very spicy mouth, dry prunes, mellow, long end.

1934
Brown Armagnac with green tints, shiny. Incredibly rich and elegant nose with touches of spices, dry prune, orange bark and cinnamon. In mouth, very frank attack, the eau de vie is wel balanced, the tannins are soft in the mouth and melted. The aromas are very spicy and dry prune and liquorice really dominate, then after aeration, rancio and butter remain in mouth. The finish is very long very rich and mild. A very nice moment to taste this armagnac mellow and unctuous. Perfect also with a nice double corona cigare.

1937
Complex Nose. Very Aromatic, very wooded, little touches of peat.

1939
Very rich mouth, with aromas of macerated white fruits and leather. No hesitation ! Silver medal at the international wine challenge in 1998.

1942
Golden tints, beautiful live colour. Nose: very powerful, macerated fruits, leather.  Mouth: light attack, wood, nice at the end of the mouth.

1944
Deep amber colour, copper tints .Nose: very complex and pleasant, spicy aromas (vanilla, cynnamon), old leather, touches of butter .Mouth: rich, few tannins but still present. Very long Armagnac.

1945
Very Perfumed nose, intense, very rich, complex perfume. Brilliant colour. Mouth: Mellow. Touch of Madeira and even Xeres.

1946
Old coppery reflects. Nose : Vanilla, dry fruits. Mouth : Well balanced with a smooth perfumed end.

1949
Its topaze colour is superb. Spurting out of the glass, the bouquet opens out on a complex melted range, and a superb violet taste. Without excess of heat, it affirms its richness on your palate and does “la queue de Paon” giving all of the poesy of its age. A real nectar…

1955
Orange tint. Very complex nose with aromas of exotic fruits and of sugar cane and spices. Powerfull in mouth and very aromatic. End : persistent and spicy.

1956
A deep amber colour. Fresh nose, complex, predominating spices vanilla, pepper, cinnamon. In mouth, it is round and really persistent with vanilla and plum flavours. The glass bottom offers a good rancio. It has a lot of nature.
“An armagnac very unctuous, with some complex notes of crystallized prune, wood, cocoa and fig. A very rich mouth.”

1958
Colour: Limpid, dark brown, copper tints. Nose: Powerfull, touches of candies vanilla and prunes, notes of leather, coffee, spices .Mouth: well balanced, powerfull, long finish.

1959
This Bas Armagnac comes from a blend of two cepages, the Ugni Blanc and Baco.
Its fawn coloured robe with some red copper gives some rancio flavours reflecting its long stay in barrels in a bouquet of wooden touches.(santal wood, vanilla, grilled touches) spicy and fruity (banana).The mouth is soft and mellow but this eau de vie has kept the nervosity of the baco cepage. It is perfect with a maroon cake with an arabica sauce! The richness of maroon and the creamy touch of the dessert is tempered by the freshness of the ice cream. The coffee sauce is an echo to the grilled touches. The osmose is total.

1961
Nose of candies vanilla and prunes. Few spicy notes, long in mouth.

1962
Beautiful brilliant color, yellow gold. Complex nose, floral, candied fruits. Soft attack, round in mouth, balanced .

1967
Golden Robe with copper tints Charming nose with leather notes which reflect its old age, and some touches of vanilla. Smooth in the mouth it is round but spicy, with with very harmonious tanins and perfectly melt wood flavours. Well balanced with no acidity, this armagnac is voluptuous with an exceptional structure.

1968
Amber Robe. Delicate nose with leather and crystallised fruits notes, typical from 60's. Smooth, round and spicy.

1969
Amber colour, a distinguished nose which gives some nice notes of crystallised fruits and rancio. The mouth is subtle and smooth with a slight taste of wood.

1970
Very good nose, nicely balanced with a light shade of vanilla.

1971
A very smooth and agreeable armagnac, with a lot of aromas.

1972
Bronze medal at the international wine challenge in 1998 in France.

1973
Old gold colour, discreet nose, soft attack in the mouth, very well balanced, with         some nice rancio at the end of the mouth.

1974
Very fruity bouquet – fresh, lively orange aromas with some almost perfumed touches – complex, exotic nose no coarseness and no unwelcome alcohol heat on this palate; light, elegant, fruity flavours with a refreshing quality to perk up the palate after a heavy meal; a fine digestif with interesting, spicy, almost mineral notes to the aftertaste.

1975
Golden medal at the International Wine and spirit competition in London.
An amber robe with topaz and orange tints.
Very well balanced nose, very smooth and tender which marry molasses, dry banana, rice powder, white chocolate, nettle flower, Petunia (a subtle mix of chocolate,iodine and wisteria). After having warmed it up, it offers leather flavours, dry wood, white truffle and quinine bark tints. The mouth is smooth, woody, with chocolate truffle flavours, vanilla, cinnamon, brioche-like flavours. The final touch reminds of liquorice.

1976
Wooded nose, but not too much. Notes of prunes.

1977
Brass colour to moderate shade.
The bouquet has a fine range and intense crystallized fruit, plum, not much spicy.
The taste (mellow, well-developed with a retro on the plum and a woody taste really subtle. Superb long and glass bottom on the cocoa. A lot of neatness for this armagnac. 
15,5/20 in the GaultMillau Magazine

1978
Topazes and sienna robe with orange touches. It offers a nose with complex flavours, which marries animal notes like leather, floral flavours like eucalyptus and fruity flavours like dry fig and blond tobacco. After warming it up, we can smell fur and praline flavours.
The mouth effect is frank, the middle of the mouth is powerful with dry fruits aromas, (dry prune, grape, orange bark, almond). The final touch gives white chocolate flavours.

1979
Delicate nose, perfumed. Long in mouth, frank. Fruity aromas (peach, prune and vanilla).

1980
Nose: light, without aggressivity, easy   Mouth: few aggressivity , light prunes, few rancio.

1981
Nose: light, without aggressivity, easy   Mouth: few aggressivity , light prunes.

1983
Colour: pale gold, macerated fruits, vanilla. Mouth: Light and mellow. Perfumed Armagnac, pronounced flower notes.

1984
Nose: live, vanilla, wood.Mellow in mouth. Prunes, spicy, well structured.

1985
Colour: pale, copper light. Nose of faded flowers. Mouth: fine and sweet.

1986
Pale colour. Complex nose. Smooth in mouth.Light and pleasant.

1987
Colour:  golden light. Powerfull but pleasant nose. Sweet end.

1988
Pale colour. Slight nose but nice. Short end, well balanced.

1989
Color : olde gold, copper. Old nose. Mouth: simple, neutral.

1990
Color golden lights. Neutral nose. Smooth, powerfull, pleasant.