SPIRIT

Attached to my Gascon land, we created in 2011 the Encantada to make discover these forgotten armagnacs.

As a good Gascon, I take my time to travel the countryside to meet small producers willing to sell their products. These passionate producers have worked the vines, distilled and matured these armagnacs in the traditional way. Patience is also needed to give these Armagnacs time to mature, or to find the right dosage for a 20 or 25 year old blend.

Armagnac is an extraordinary and fascinating product. It is the result of nature, shaped by men. It is the expression of the terroir and is able to cross the decades. It improves if you take the greatest care of it. He knows how to be very generous and is often spoken of with respect and brings a smile.

It also knows how to be complex, delicate, refined, persistent and perhaps capable of leaving a greedy memory to the one who knows how to take the time to understand it.

The relationship with our producers, our domains inspires me a lot of respect, it requires humility, because it is these men and women who have created these waters of life.

There are several aspects to this research, sometimes a work of investigation, sometimes a work of comprehension, and sometimes a work of projection. Because sometimes these Armagnacs aren’t what you’d expect them to be. We need to refine them, to bring them a different wood, a different atmosphere of refining…

At other times, these products don’t correspond to the profiles we’re looking for, so we need to be clear and transparent with owners.

We can raise and propose exceptional armagnacs, while sharing and educating our customers. I think that this spirit needs to be reconquered and explained, in order to understand its often complex aspects, and to break its sometimes outdated image!

What better way to combine business with pleasure. I sincerely believe that we can market spirits in a joyful and good mood.

And then the Encantada is an association of good friends …!

Originally, I do not come from this particular environment of armagnac. But Vincent, my husband, knew how to introduce me to the passion he knows for this spirit. Today, I take great pleasure in tasting the products he brings back from his visits to the countryside. We sometimes spend evenings tasting and sharing our opinions (even if sometimes I don’t use the right vocabulary for the tasting notes…)

When we talk about Armagnac, people imagine a strong alcohol in the mouth, because they immediately think of the high degree. However, I realize that it is not because one tastes an Armagnac that is 51% that one will be more disconcerted. On the contrary… Our Del Cassou estate has for example more sweetness and more natural complexity, while an armagnac from Lous Pibous, with its Folle Blanche grape variety, might appeal more to ladies, because of its floral aromas.

I take care of all the administrative side of the business and, of course, don’t hesitate to lend a hand with harvesting, bottling… The pleasure of a small business where you have to know how to touch everything… With the creation of our tasting room, we can now welcome all spirits enthusiasts in a warm and friendly atmosphere. We also organize themed evenings around our armagnacs and exhibitions, according to a program…

The label is the first thing you see. It’s the first impression you get of the bottle.

This forces us to always be innovative and try to be creative. While blending authenticity and modernity, we remain attentive to new trends and the demands of our loyal customers, who are our ambassadors.

Vincent’s childhood friend, where we played the 400 rounds when I came on vacation to this beautiful village of Lupiac, the land of D’artagnan, I share his passion for fine eaux-de-vie steeped in history, and for Gascon culture.

Because of my natural verve, I was perhaps predisposed to commercial professions.

I take great pleasure in tasting our armagnacs and having our customers taste them, as they often have discerning palates. What a satisfaction to see these delighted customers become loyal.

For me, a Single Cask in raw cask, as proposed by Encantada, must be able to represent the unique expression of the selected piece (barrel).

The idea that each barrel is ephemeral appeals to me. This allows you to travel from one universe to another. Our tastes and expectations are changing….

We have great spirits in France. We sell armagnac to whisky lovers, who sometimes ignore the richness of our terroirs and the diversity of our French spirits.

I enjoy surprising them in blind tests.

Today L’Encantada has a community of connoisseurs of spirits (rum, whisky, bourbon, etc.).

The diversity and complexity offered by our different estates and terroirs appeal to discerning palates from other worlds.

After an international career, I returned to my native Lupiac.

I’m multidisciplinary 🙂

I’m involved in the vine’s growth cycle, from planting, pruning and harvesting to bottling, logistics and shipping your orders. I’m lucky enough to be able to see and intervene in the whole chain, from the vine to the final product.

Ah, that’s quite a technique! We bottle by gravity, i.e. the armagnac is in marie-jeanne, and so as not to “haggle” it, I lift it with the pallet truck above the filler, and everything is done by gravity. Filling with this system is a simple drop, and once the programmed fill level is reached inside the bottle, the excess product is released again.

I love the fact that we’re perpetuating ancestral know-how and, above all, that we’re giving pride of place to all these small, sometimes forgotten, producers. This versatility means that I have no routine, and every day I discover a little more about the world of spirits in general.

Ever since I was a child, I’ve advocated the values of the South West, and being the epicurean that I am, I’ve always been interested in the world of wines and spirits from my region, and then from the whole country.

After several years in wine and spirits marketing, I’ve come to reinforce the Encantada team. In addition to communications, I’m also working on the development of spirit tourism.

One of the tours we offer is called “Keys to the cellar”. Visitors can take on the role of cellar master and taste directly from the barrel.

To do this, the barrel must be “siphoned” to collect the precious elixir. In Vincent’s absence, I’m in charge.

I’ll let you guess what it was like the first few times…a disaster! After the angels’ share, the siphoning off of marketing…

I really like GNAC because I think it’s super accessible for a public that isn’t necessarily a spirit taster. I like its wood and vanilla aromas, which remind me of certain rums. And summer cocktails with ginger ale are just the thing!

And we also love Domaine CUTXAN 100% Baco!