Chateau De Pibarnon Marc 1993

Individually packaged in a wooden box. Éric de Saint-Victor carries on his family's proud tradition of crafting an aged, artisanal Marc de Bandol from the appropriate years. Distilled using the 'méthode Bourguignonne', this exceptionally matured Marc is crafted from the pomace of pressed Mourvèdre grapes using a small, wood-fired copper still. Only the heart of the run is collected for ageing and each "pass" produces about 25 litres of spirit. Pibarnon then mature their Marc for a whopping 20 years in old 418-litre Armagnac casks made from that region's Chêne Rouvre oak.

By the time the spirit is bottled (unfiltered), it has mellowed into an extraordinarily complex, deep and finely drawn liquid that coats the palate in complex flavours of raisin, plum and prunes, with a slight liquorice note. Opulently textured, very complex and with a very long, expansive finish that suggests both mixed dried fruits and all kinds of spices. I'm not sure that there is a great demand for aged Marc de Bandol, but this was just too good to pass on. And besides, it makes for a stunning nightcap.