Staff Pick Brandy for Winter
Château Arton La Réserve Haut Armagnac $89.99
Château Arton is located in the tiny village of Arton in the heart of the Haut-Armagnac region. Founded by Patrick de Montal in 1979, Château Arton is rightly recognized as the leader of innovation and quality in Armagnac. This very blend of Armagnac was recognized in 2017 with the Prix d’Excellence at the Concours Général Agricole de Paris. All spirit in this expression are made from Colombard and Ugni Blanc grapes grown on estate at Domaine d’Arton, distilled and aged for no less than 6 years. This Spirit is in a word, beautiful. Distillation is perfume-like, extremely focused and delicate. White flower notes and subtle chamomile lead the sip, with kumquat and candied orange lingering. A world class expression of Haut-Armagnac. – Evan Cucciniello, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Chateau de Montifaud VS Petite Champagne Cognac $37.96
I’m constantly on the lookout for good-value: under-the-radar bottles that offer great quality without requiring you to drop a lot of $$. When one comes along it feels like finding a first edition of The Great Gatsby in a closeout bin. Chateau Montifaud is my kind of producer: family run for a gazillion generations, small production, and heart-felt care and attention from grape growing to maturation. To give you an example, they press the grapes within 30 minutes of picking to avoid oxidation, ferment at cooler temps to retain fruit and floral notes, and distill on the lees for creaminess. They also age longer than required in French oak (only 10 months new). The result is a soft, luscious sip with spring-like floral notes, buttery pears, and apples. It’s a light, easy sipper and excellent for cocktails. – Amy Miller, Sales Manager
Ragnaud Sabourin Florilege Cognac $349.96
They say that Armagnac is the gateway from whiskey into Brandy. Well, this has been my gateway from Armagnac to Cognac. The Ragnaud Sabourin family has been both a négociant and a grower in the Grande Champagne region of France since 1850, so there are some very old stocks going into this. It’s rare to see age statements in Cognac, but they mention that Cognac as old as 45 years goes into the Florilege. Florilege just means “anthology” in French–a collection of flowers–so this expression is like a collection of flavors that makes Ragnaud Sabourin amazing. Deeply concentrated flavors of confection and rancio abound. – Josh Mizrahi, Sales Manager
Lemorton Reserve, Calvados Domfrontais $59.96
I have been a huge fan of Calvados for the better part of a decade. When I first tasted Lemorton, I knew something was different. Delicious! But different. First off, where most other Calvados are based exclusively on apple, Lemorton uses about 70% pear in their distillate. Pear is a signature of the Calvados Domfrontais region, but Lemorton use more than double the minimum amount required. Second, the barrel aging. With Calvados being a brandy that comes from the distillation of cider, Lemorton reserves their cider in oak for 11 months before distillation and then for 4 to 6 years in barrels that have an average age of 30 years in use. This coaxes out an unmatched complexity and depth of flavor. If you love Calvados like I do, Lemorton is something you must taste and experience. – Evan Cucciniello, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant
Michel Huard Reserve Le Pertyer Calvados $79.96
Jean-Francois Guillouet is the 7th generation of his family to produce Calvados on their estate in the French border region of, Suisse-Normand. As grower producers, there are about 30 varieties of apples are grown on the property, predominantly from the sweet and bittersweet categories. The soil is a perfect loamy combination of silt and clay. Distilled from 100% apple Cider is naturally fermented sur lie in neutral tanks for 8–12 months before distillation in a traditional, wood-fired copper column still. The ‘Hors D’Age’ is a blend of vintages, ranging from 6 to 30+ years of resting in old French oak barrels. The result is a long sipping, effervescent spirit with aromas of deep green apple, honey, and a touch of almond. – Evan Cucciniello, Astor Wines & Spirits Consultant