Marquis de Montesquiou Extra Old Armagnac 750ml

There is a legend about how Armagnac came to exist. When God created the earth, the story goes, He forgot a small corner of Gascony, and that omission made Him very sad. A tear ran down His cheek, and when it fell to the ground, it formed the region of Armagnac. The legend is charming nonsense, of course — Armagnac is, in the more prosaic reality, a protected designation of origin in southwest France — but the sentiment behind it captures something genuine about how the people of this corner of Gascony feel about their brandy: that it is, in some sense, a gift, and that the patience required to make it properly is itself a kind of devotion.

The Montesquiou family's connection to this corner of France stretches back to 1040 — nearly a millennium of documented family history in Gascony, with even a rumored relation to a real-life Musketeer woven into the family lore. The modern commercial house — Société Produits d'Armagnac, home to both Marquis de Montesquiou and Comte de Lauvia — was formally founded in 1936 by Pierre de Montesquiou, a politically ambitious Armagnac merchant and co-founder of the Confrérie des Mousquetaires de l'Armagnac, the brotherhood dedicated to preserving and promoting the region's brandy traditions. Formerly part of the Pernod family of companies, the house is now imported into the American market by ImpEx, with expanding national distribution.

Extra Old is the most patiently aged expression in the classic Montesquiou range — a blend of different brandies, every single component of which has matured for a minimum of ten years, considerably longer than the house's VSOP and standard XO bottlings. Drawn from Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, Colombard, and Baco grapes grown across both the Bas-Armagnac and Ténarèze subregions, this is Armagnac built on real patience rather than minimum legal requirements. The official tasting notes promise "an expressive nose of the typical rancio of aged eaux-de-vie with a bouquet of melted but present wood, vanilla, prune, nuts, fruity with cherry and coconut and spices" and "a very smooth, tasty palate, with lots of structure and balance, a perfect alliance between wood and fruit." Vertdevin's detailed review found notes of Zante currant, marmalade, dried orange, apricot, dried fig, caramel, and a discreet hint of coffee and cocoa on a beautifully suave finish. Aristocracy in a bottle, suave, well-aged, and unmistakably Gascon.

Origins & Craftsmanship

The Société Produits d'Armagnac — home of both Marquis de Montesquiou and Comte de Lauvia — was founded in 1936 by Pierre de Montesquiou, a politically ambitious Armagnac merchant who also co-founded the Confrérie des Mousquetaires de l'Armagnac, the regional fraternity dedicated to celebrating and preserving Armagnac's specific traditions. The Montesquiou family's own connection to Gascony, however, predates the formal company by nearly nine centuries, with documented family history stretching back to 1040 and a persistent family legend tying them to one of the original Musketeers.

Armagnac is produced from ten grape varieties permitted by decree, though Montesquiou's range draws specifically on four: Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, Colombard, and Baco — sourced from vineyards across both the Bas-Armagnac and Ténarèze subregions of Gascony, the southwesternmost corner of France. Each year, from the end of October to the end of January, the Flamme de l'Armagnac is carried on foot and on horseback throughout the region to symbolically light the stills of each distillery, marking the beginning of the distillation season — a tradition that connects the modern commercial house directly to centuries of Gascon ritual.

The Extra Old expression is a blend of different brandies, all of which carry a minimum of ten years of aging — a meaningfully longer maturation commitment than the house's VSOP (Compte 4, averaging six years) or even its standard XO bottling, allowing for the extraction of an exceptionally rich and complex rancio character, the specific oxidative, nutty, aged-wine quality that only extended barrel time produces in eau-de-vie. The blend is bottled at 40% ABV / 80 proof.

Critics Reviews

Vertdevin (confirmed extended professional tasting note):
"The nose is aromatic and offers power, intensity and finesse. It reveals notes of Zante currant, dried flowers and dried orange zests associated with oaky/roasted touches, gray pepper, candied orange/crystallized clementine as well as a hint of caramel/rancio, nutmeg and a very discreet hint of chocolate. The palate is fruity, straight and offers a small tension, gourmandise, a good balance, precision, a very slight unctuosity as well as a very fine grain. On the palate, this Armagnac expresses notes of Zante currant, marmalade and dried orange combined with hints of rancio as well as a discreet hint of apricot, dried fig, caramel and spices. Good length. There is a very discreet hint of coffee/cocoa on the finish. The finish is beautifully suave. There are hints of vanilla on the finish/persistence (brings gourmandise). Beautiful persistence."

Marquis de Montesquiou official tasting notes:
"Intense mahogany. The nose is an expression of the typical rancio of aged eaux-de-vie. A bouquet of melted but present wood, vanilla, prune, nuts, fruity with cherry and coconut, spices such as cinnamon. A very smooth, tasty palate, with lots of structure and balance, a perfect alliance between wood and fruit."

Drinkhacker (Christopher Null, house style context — VSOP and XO Imperial reviewed):
"A classic brandy, richer than young Cognacs and arguably more enjoyable." The XO Imperial: "Immediately more intense on the nose, and huge in the body, this tastes like a classic old Cognac. Really rich with smoothed fruit, marzipan, milk chocolate, more nuts, and a fantastic balance of sweet and smoldering."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Intense mahogany — the minimum 10-year aging across every blend component producing a color of genuine depth and maturity. The nose opens with the typical rancio of aged eaux-de-vie — the specifically oxidative, nutty, and complex aromatic quality that only extended barrel time produces, distinguishing serious aged Armagnac from younger, fruitier expressions. Melted but present wood carries through alongside vanilla, prune, and nuts. Zante currant and dried orange zests add concentrated dried fruit complexity. Candied orange and crystallized clementine add bright citrus depth. Gray pepper and nutmeg add warm spice. A discreet hint of chocolate threads through the background.

Palate
Fruity, straight, and offering a small tension — the Vertdevin reviewer's most technically precise characterization, balancing genuine structure with a slight unctuosity and a very fine grain. Zante currant, marmalade, and dried orange carry the primary flavor profile, combined with hints of rancio. Apricot and dried fig add layered dried-fruit complexity. Caramel and spices round out the mid-palate with warmth and depth. A perfect alliance between wood and fruit, in the house's own precise self-description — neither element dominating the other.

Finish
Beautifully suave and of good length, with a very discreet hint of coffee and cocoa carrying the close. Hints of vanilla persist, bringing genuine gourmandise to the finish. Beautiful persistence — a finish that confirms the patience of a minimum-ten-year aging commitment across every component eau-de-vie in the blend.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Dark chocolate
• Foie gras — the classic Gascon pairing
• Aged hard cheeses
• Prunes and dried fruit
• Crème brûlée and caramel-forward desserts
• Digestif, on its own after a meal

Cocktail Suggestions

Armagnac Margarita (the house's own recommended serve)
Pairing Armagnac with aged tequila, lime, and orange liqueur — Marquis de Montesquiou's own description: "tastes like a combination of a classic Sidecar and a margarita."

Vieux Carré
A classic New Orleans cocktail from Hotel Monteleone — strong and alcohol-forward, well-suited to Extra Old's structure and depth.

Milk Punch
Brandy, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract — a New Orleans brunch classic dating to 1688 in Scotland.