XO Armagnac (Premium), Veuve Goudoulin, Armagnac, France

This vintage from Jeanne has a lovely mahogany colour accompanied by 'fire' red reflections. On the nose there is an initial hint of vanilla with floral notes. On the palate there is an exotic mix of spices. The mouthfeel offers a suave roundness, its length reveals the full expression of this bas Armagnac which highlights all the intensity of melted woods and gingerbread finely mixed with vanilla to finish on a slightly 'floral' hint.

This premium XO Bas-Armagnac is the result of a blend of several vintages, the youngest of which has 20 years of aging in barrels.

Some of the vintages that make up this Jeanne cuvée come from Domaine de Bigor in Courrensan, a historic estate of the Goudoulin house.

Armagnac Goudoulin was founded in 1935 by Madame Jeanne Ménal Goudoulin, who was born in 1887 in Mouchan in the département of the Gers. Through marriage, Jeanne Goudoulin came into ownership of the Domaine de Bigor in Courrensan in 1908. Following the death of her husband, Joseph Goudoulin in 1925 due to injuries suffered during the First World War, she ran the Domaine de Bigor estate in Courrensan, Bas Armagnac, on her own.

In 1935, she began to sell Armagnac from the large stock both she and previous generations had built up. Christian Faure took over the management of the estate in 1964, having spent several years working alongside his grandmother, who passed on all her expertise and knowledge of the Armagnac business.

Christian Faure retired in 2009, after having successfully expanded the business and raised the brand’s profile. Michel Miclo, owner of the Alsace-based family-owned G. Miclo Distillery bought Armagnacs J. Goudoulin. His new team’s aim is to develop the brand’s geographical reach and reputation, whilst safeguarding the traditional character and the universally acknowledged quality of our Armagnacs..