Château de Laubade 2006 "L'Unique #3" Le Plant de Graisse Bas Armagnac 750ml

Plant de Graisse is a genuinely endangered piece of Armagnac history — just 39.5 acres of this once-common grape variety remain planted anywhere on Earth, and Château de Laubade has taken on the task of keeping it alive. The estate's own copy calls this "the third opus" in its experimental "L'Unique" series, produced entirely from a single 3.5-acre plot planted in 1997 and farmed sustainably using organic fertilizers — Laubade's own effort "to preserve the authenticity and diversity of the Bas Armagnac terroir" by releasing, for the very first time, a genuine single-varietal expression built entirely around this nearly extinct grape.

The grapes were harvested, vinified, and distilled in a single day — December 11, 2006 — then rested a full fifteen years in Gascogne oak barrels before bottling on March 2, 2022. This release is a blend of just two individual casks, entirely unfiltered and bottled in natural colour, with only 954 bottles allocated for the entire US market — a genuinely scarce, collector-grade release even by Armagnac's already niche standards.

Wine Time Events' independent tasting, conducted directly with Cellar Master Denis Lesgourgues, offers a genuinely detailed account: "the aromas are delicate and perfumed, with a hint of oiliness. They are also focussed; dried orange, cinnamon stick and fig with very well integrated oak. The palate has oily weight, intensity and an evolving finish of toasted walnuts, pastries, herbs, and a marmite edge, but somehow ending on a lovely floral note. A fascinating and unique experience, sure to satisfy Armagnac maniacs everywhere." Wardman Wines' tasting note describes the spirit as "very soft, with notes of cherry pit, licorice, graphite, earth, pepper, rose petal, peach, orange zest, and orange blossom." Hi-Time's copy adds "expressive and elegant aromas of honeysuckle, lavender petal, lemon verbena, and subtle oak." Amanti Vino's tasting confirms "notes of ripe tropical fruit, spice, and vanilla." This is a genuinely rare, meticulously preserved piece of Armagnac heritage — the kind of release built specifically for serious collectors and Armagnac enthusiasts chasing something that literally cannot be replicated once these last few acres are gone.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Château de Laubade, built in 1870 and owned by the Lesgourgues family, is the largest single-estate producer in the Bas Armagnac region, based in Sorbets, Gascony, France. Cellar Master Denis Lesgourgues and the family taste each batch regularly to select spirits for blending once they reach their peak, with full traceability maintained on every bottle and decanter. The estate has long focused on reintroducing indigenous, nearly forgotten Armagnac grape varieties, including Baco and Plant de Graisse, as part of what the Lesgourgues family calls "inventing the Armagnac of the future."

This release, the third in Laubade's experimental "L'Unique" series, is produced entirely from a single 3.5-acre plot of Plant de Graisse, planted in 1997 and sustainably farmed using organic fertilizers — one of only 39.5 acres of this grape variety grown anywhere in the world. The grapes were harvested, vinified, and distilled on December 11, 2006, then aged 15 years in Gascogne oak barrels before bottling on March 2, 2022. The release is a blend of just two individual casks, bottled entirely unfiltered, in natural colour, with 954 bottles allocated to the US market. Bottled at 46.3% ABV / 92.6 proof.

Tasting Profile

Nose
Delicate and perfumed, with a hint of oiliness. Dried orange, cinnamon stick, and fig lead, alongside very well-integrated oak, cherry pit, licorice, rose petal, and orange blossom.

Palate
Oily weight and real intensity, with peach, graphite, and earthy pepper carrying the entry, developing ripe tropical fruit, warm spice, and vanilla.

Finish
Evolving and complex, closing with toasted walnut, pastry, herbs, and a distinctive marmite edge, before settling on a genuinely lovely floral note.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Fig or stone fruit tarts
• Aged, nutty cheeses
• Dark chocolate desserts
• Toasted nut-based pastries

Serving Note

Best enjoyed neat, in a tulip-shaped snifter, allowing the aromas to fully develop — a genuine sipping spirit for slow, contemplative enjoyment.