Chateau de Laubade 21 Year Old Bas Armagnac Baco Folle Blanche Colombard Gascony Oak 21 to 25 Year Blend Double Gold SFWSC 45.3% ABV 90.6 Proof 750ml

Armagnac is France's oldest distilled spirit — older than Cognac by at least a century, produced in Gascony by traditional alembic continuous still rather than Cognac's double pot distillation, and aged in the region's indigenous oak rather than Limousin. It is a more rustic, more characterful, and in the hands of the right producer, more genuinely complex spirit than its more famous cousin. In the hands of Château de Laubade, it is something exceptional.

Laubade is the most awarded Armagnac house in France — 250 accolades across the most prestigious competitions in the world including Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Gold at the International Spirits Challenge 2024, and the Concours Général Agricole in Paris. Named Spirit of the Year 2020 by La Revue des Vins de France — France's most respected wine and spirits publication. No other Armagnac producer has accumulated recognition at this breadth and consistency.

The 21 Year Old is the house's clearest statement of what two decades of patience in Gascony oak produces — and at 45.3% ABV, it is a notable departure from the standard 40% at which most Armagnac is bottled. That higher proof is a deliberate and meaningful choice: described by one importer as the expression that "embraces elements reminiscent of Scotch whiskies," the elevated ABV delivers a richer, more textured mouthfeel and a more vibrant and profound finish than standard-proof Armagnac achieves. Assembled from the estate's tasting committee's most remarkable 420-liter casks, aged between 21 and 25 years — selected because their marriage produces something greater than the sum of its individual parts. Wine Enthusiast describes it with precision: maple and caramel leading the nose, spicy warmth smoldering with cayenne and cinnamon on the palate, smoothed by vanilla and orange peel, closing on a long and mouthwatering finish of plum, ripe peach, and lingering spice. For the Cognac drinker who has never explored Armagnac, and the Scotch enthusiast open to discovering the most underrated spirit category in France, this is the conversion bottle.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Château de Laubade was established in 1870 in the heart of Bas Armagnac — the finest and most prestigious sub-appellation within the Armagnac designation, whose sandy, tawny soils and mild Gascony climate produce the most refined and aromatic eaux-de-vie in the region. The estate spans 105 hectares of vineyards, with 260 acres under vine managed by the Lesgourgues family under a philosophy of sustainable viticulture — natural fertilization provided by a herd of 600 sheep that graze between the vines, contributing to soil health without chemical intervention.

Laubade is one of the very few properties in Gascony cultivating all four grape varieties permitted by the Armagnac appellation: Baco — the house's signature variety and the most widely planted on the estate, comprising a larger share than any other Armagnac producer in the entire region; Folle Blanche — the traditional Gascon grape prized for its aromatic delicacy and finesse; Colombard — contributing fruit brightness and freshness; and Ugni Blanc. Each variety is distilled separately in the traditional Armagnac alembic still — a continuous column still that produces a more flavorful, more characterful distillate than the double distillation used in Cognac — allowing each grape's individual character to be preserved and understood before blending.

The estate's cooperage is integral to the Laubade philosophy and is entirely unique within the Armagnac category: Laubade is the only Armagnac house that cooperages its own casks. Stave wood from Gascony pedunculate oaks — native to the region and distinct from Limousin or Allier oak — is selected, seasoned on the estate, and crafted into custom barrels by the estate's own coopers. These Gascony oak barrels impart a distinctive quality to Laubade's eaux-de-vie: tighter grain, more subtle extraction, and a slower, more patient development of the rancio character that defines great aged Armagnac — the oxidative, walnut-and-dried-fruit complexity that develops over decades of cask maturation and is the hallmark of the world's finest examples.

The 21 Year Old is assembled from 420-liter casks hand-selected by Château de Laubade's tasting committee — François Laura, the house's Cellar Master, and members of the Lesgourgues family, who taste each batch regularly to identify when components have reached their individual peak. The casks selected carry aging between 21 and 25 years — a range that allows the committee to select for balance and complementarity rather than simply age. Bottled at 45.3% ABV — 90.6 proof — rather than the standard 40%, a deliberate choice that preserves the eaux-de-vie's natural vigor and delivers the richer, more structured mouthfeel and more vibrant finish that the estate's Cellar Master identified as the expression's defining quality advantage. Each bottle carries a bottling date and batch number on the label — a transparency commitment that Laubade maintains across its entire range and that is exceptional by any standard in the Armagnac category.

Critics Reviews

Wine Enthusiast 93 Points — reviewed by Kara Newman "Maple and caramel aromas lead the nose. The first spicy sips smolder with cayenne and cinnamon, smoothed by vanilla and orange peel tones. The long finish offers mouthwatering hints of plum, ripe peach and a final echo of spice."

San Francisco World Spirits Competition — Double Gold Medal Awarded at one of the world's most competitive spirits judging panels — the highest recognition available at the SFWSC, confirming the 21 Year Old's standing at the pinnacle of the aged Armagnac category.

La Revue des Vins de France — Spirit of the Year 2020 The highest recognition awarded by France's most respected wine and spirits publication — confirming Château de Laubade's position as the country's most acclaimed Armagnac house.

International Spirits Challenge 2024 — Gold Medal Most recent major competition recognition — confirming the 21 Year Old's quality at the highest level in current production.

Château de Laubade overall: 250 accolades across the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, International Spirits Challenge, Concours Général Agricole Paris, World Spirits Awards, Talents de l'Armagnac, and Ultimate Beverage Challenge New York — the most decorated Armagnac house in the world.

Tasting Profile

Nose Elegant, complex, and deeply inviting — the Gascony oak and two-decade maturation announcing themselves in an aromatic richness that is immediately distinctive. Deep amber in color. Candied fruit and vanilla lead with warmth and generosity, followed by butterscotch and a ripe plum quality alongside an elegant toast note from the estate oak. Maple syrup and caramel develop alongside dried fruits characteristic of long-aged Armagnac: prunes, figs, and raisins deepening into honeyed complexity. Cinnamon, nutmeg, and subtle leather add depth. A whisper of rancio — the oxidative walnut-and-dried-fruit complexity that only extended Gascony oak aging produces — threads through the whole, marking this as a genuinely aged spirit of considerable pedigree. The 45.3% ABV adds a vitality and aromatic presence that standard-proof expressions cannot match.

Palate Full-bodied, richly textured, and built on a superb mouthfeel that the elevated ABV contributes significantly. Ripe fruits and spices melt together through a beautifully integrated entry — the palate evolving in waves toward the mid-palate where the texture becomes particularly superb and enveloping. Cayenne and cinnamon arrive with genuine warmth, bold and characteristic of Laubade's spice-forward house style, before softening into vanilla and orange peel that thread through the mid-palate with aromatic elegance. Caramelized sugar, butterscotch, and a slight nuttiness from the roasted almond character of the Gascony oak build steadily. Tobacco and leather add depth at the center. The 45.3% proof carries all of this with genuine presence and authority — more structured, more vibrant, and more complete than a standard-proof bottling of the same liquid would deliver.

Finish Very long, complex, and deeply satisfying. Plum and ripe peach emerge in the close — the fruited complexity that two decades of Gascony oak aging concentrates and preserves — alongside a final echo of cinnamon spice, dark fruits, and rancio that fades gradually and cleanly. The elevated proof ensures the finish has real length and grip — nothing fleeting, nothing abbreviated. A whisper of vanilla oak and dried fruit persist at the very end, confirming the depth and authenticity of the aging program behind this expression.

Quick Overview

Serving & Occasion

Best enjoyed neat in a tulip glass or wide-bottomed snifter at room temperature — the maple, dried fruit, and rancio complexity are most fully expressed without dilution or ice. A few drops of water will open the orange peel and vanilla notes further and soften the cinnamon spice into something particularly refined — the 45.3% ABV rewards gentle dilution more than a standard 40% expression would, and the result is a more open and aromatic experience. Not suited to cocktails — this is a contemplative digestif of considerable age and complexity that deserves undivided attention. An exceptional pairing with dark chocolate, dried fruit and nut boards, aged Roquefort or other blue cheese, prune-based desserts, and anything featuring caramel or almond. An outstanding gifting bottle for Cognac enthusiasts who have never explored Armagnac, for Scotch enthusiasts drawn by the higher-proof structure, and for serious brandy collectors who appreciate the combination of French artisan craftsmanship and patient, unhurried aging. The bottle's transparency commitment — bottling date and batch number printed on every label — adds an additional layer of trust and provenance for the discerning collector.