Domaine Le Basque Vintage 2003

Nose

Deep and mature with dates, raisins and candied cherries. Cane sugar, tobacco and cinnamon are complemented by mature oak and a touch of leather.

Palate

Full and powerful with dark caramel, stewed plums and dark chocolate. Clove, toasted nuts and clearly present oak create a creamy, rounded and layered palate.

Finish

Long, warming and intense with cocoa, dried fruit and spices. A gentle, slightly drying oak note lingers pleasantly.

Domaine Le Basque is located in Lannemaignan, in the heart of Bas-Armagnac. Here, Cécile and Pierre Lamothe continue the work of their father on an estate covering only around 1.1 hectares. That small scale is not a limitation, but precisely what gives Le Basque its strength. The family keeps every stage in its own hands, from tending and harvesting the grapes to distilling, maturing, bottling and labelling the Armagnac.

The production method is equally traditional. The alambic still is fired with wood, and much of the work is carried out by hand, without haste or unnecessary modernisation. The vineyard is planted with Baco and Folle Blanche, two grapes that together tell the history of Armagnac. Folle Blanche was the region’s classic variety before the phylloxera crisis, while Baco was developed afterwards as a stronger and more reliable alternative. By using both grapes together, Le Basque preserves a wonderful piece of regional heritage. Production is tiny and vintages are limited, making every bottle feel like a direct glimpse into the Lamothe family cellar.