Nose: lightly toasted almonds. those amazing looking fruit shaped marzipan pastries. Almond blossom honey. Mirabel jam spread on whole grain farm bread. Baked apricots. The plum trees in my grandparents’ orchard ~1.5 hrs from Paris. Which interestingly smelled incredibly different from the plums my mom had in our orchard in LA. My grandparents’ mirabelle were quite floral in character, while mom’s red plums had deeper fruit basenotes. The fact that I remember it given how young I was is sort of silly, but you only need to eat green plums and cherries once and you don’t forget. The nose is just elegant.

Palate: a burst of mirabelle (small bright yellow plums) with vibrant citrus notes. Followed by a more rounded plum character. The acidity is lovely. This glass really benefits from larger sips. White apricot tea with honey. Kumquat peel. Aji dulce peppers. Touch of warm cinnamon. Beneath the sweetness is a potent floral layer. Tiptoeing on the edge of a bath balm / spa body soap. I’m often quite hesitant with that layer of floral potency, but somehow Sascha and I are reversed – I can see my way past it, and he found it too much. But if I focus on that, then it’s an issue for me too.

Rating: 7 / 10 – 5 species of plums, aged 15+ years on oak, then more of glass.I genuinely am unsure if this is a 2001 distillation or a 2001 bottling. It has LP2001 on the back label. They seem to vary in ABV, from 40 – 42% depending on the release. The retail on this is a doozie, but after a few attempts at auction I landed one within my budget and brought it to share at the Stuttgart Armagnac Festival.