Marquis de Sauval XO Bas-Armagnac (40%)

Marquis de Sauval XO is an armagnac from the Bas-Armagnac region, distilled from Ugni Blanc and bottled at 40% abv. Part of the spirit is double-distilled in the Charentais manner for finesse, and part is single-distilled in the traditional Gascon way for more structure and aromatic complexity. The blend is then aged in French oak, generally for between 12 and 25 years, in naturally humid cellars. The name recalls Marquis Jean Sauval, a seventeenth-century musketeer in the service of Louis XIII. The nose offers cocoa and plum. The palate is creamy, with dark chocolate, dried plums, walnut cake and cinnamon, and the finish is long and warming.