Ryan's Review
We’re tasting another bottling from L’Encantada today. This one is a 1986 vintage labeled as “Domaine Le Frêche”. Well, I know next to nothing about the origin of this armagnac, other than that it was produced in the domaine Le Frêche located in the Bas Armagnac region. It was brought in by K&L and this will actually be the first L’encantada bottling I’ve had the pleasure of tasting that is not a Lous Pibous. This one is 30 years old and bottled at a natural 47.9%.
1986 L'Encantada Bas Armagnac 30 Year Old "Domaine Le Frêche" Cask #44
Nose: On the nose it’s quite big. Caramel and dried fruits make up the sweetness. We’ve also got cinnamon oil, smoke and leather. The oak is certainly present.
Taste: Upfront we have stewed fruits and berries. Some leather. Quickly moving into heavy oak, caramelized brown sugar. The mouthfeel here is quite chewy. Finishes with spicy cinnamon and fragrant wood. I find the oak to be a bit dominating on the finish only in that it seems to be overshadowing the rest of the profile.
I decided to take it for a swim and see what happens. With water the fruit notes open up with big notes of mango, heavy tart rhubarb and overripe strawberries. These transition to brighter fruits, like pineapple and lime. Quite crisp. The fruits are backed by some deeper caramel and dense oak notes. Some milk chocolate. Cinnamon. More fruit, tangerine this time. Again, there’s that fragrant wood, which is very nice. Layers upon layers. Complex and delicious.
Overall: This armagnac settled at a natural 47.9% at time of bottling, and reminds me of the heaviness of a Lous Pibous, making me wonder if it was aged in new oak. I find that a little bit of water unwraps the whole package and reveals layers of flavors beyond the caramel and oak that dominate at cask strength. That mango note is a highlight for me. This is an excellent armagnac and the quality is high. Can we expect more of the same from other “Le Frêche” bottlings?
A-
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