70cl * 40% * Armagnac, France
Today Janneau is not just one of the oldest of the great houses but also the world’s leading brand of Armagnac. Key to the quality of Janneau’s Armagnacs are its distillery and cellars in Condom, an ancient city located in the heart of the Armagnac region. Uniquely, Janneau are the only major house that distils, blends and ages its own stocks under its own roof. Having access to their own distillery gives Janneau complete control over the quality and personality of their Armagnac.
Armagnac is distilled from the region’s white wine, in this case from the Ugni Blanc grape. XO is the flagship Armagnac of the blends. The majority of the eaux-de-vie used in the XO blend is aged for 20 years in old oak barrels. This 20 Year Old expression of Janneau XO has a round and enjoyable mouthfeel, with dried fruit flavours, touches of figs, honey and wild plums follow spiced shades of cloves, wood and sweet spices. It's delicate and harmonious, with well mastered notes of wood of vanilla and toffee.