The Rare Armagnac Collection is a new small-scale bottler seeking to unearth rare and unique Armagnacs from small estates across the region that would otherwise not be available. We first visited Domaine Pouchegu in 2013, where Pierre Laporte was matter of fact about what made his Armagnacs so good: great care in the vines, a good amount of sable fauve in the soils, hiring the best distiller, and a commitment to purchasing high-quality, new Limousin oak every vintage. His meticulous attention to detail was obvious the moment we first tasted those special brandies. What we didn't know at the time was that this master of the art was battling cancer. Less than a year after that first meeting, Mr. Laporte had succumbed to cancer. His illness had not been a secret, but we did not realize the severity of the condition. Since then, his brandies have become legendary among our customers and beyond. After repeated attempts to contact his successors, our friend Charles Neal sent us word that he'd located the stocks. Luckily for us they were still in barrel and unblemished by low-quality blending or adjustment of any kind. The Rare Armagnac Collection is bottled without additives or reduction. Unfortunately, this bottle does not have Mr. Laporte's name or his domaine on it, but these bottlings perfectly preserve that man's incredible legacy. This product was labelled as 36 year old but is infact bottled in 2022 and spent the entire time in oak casks.