Chabot Armagnac Limited Edition Single Cask 1998
Wow, that is an impressive name for an armagnac, but what does it actually mean? The Chabot vintage, 1998 is the year the grapes used to make the armagnac were harvested. By regulation, distillation of these grapes would have been completed by the following March (1999) when it became Compte (Aged) 0. Therefore, on 1 April 2000 it became Aged 1 and so in 2018, this armagnac was Aged 19 years. An interesting fact as it was released this year to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong Airport. Vintage armagnacs will be aged in a number of casks (each usually holding 250 – 350 litres). This Limited Edition of 210 bottles has been drawn from just one of the 1998 casks so the contents of each bottle will be identical. Armagnac from the other casks of the same vintage will be similar but not necessarily identical. Having taken 30 litres out of one cask, the remaining armagnac may continue to age in its wood for release as a more mature 1998 vintage at a later date. A complicated explanation but it is always worth knowing what you are buying. Indeed, some very good armagnacs were made in 1998, all of which are single estate, if not single cask.
