Pastis Château des Creissauds XO 6 ans Millésime 2014 is an event, since it's the first time a pastis has been aged for so long. The plants used in the recipe are grown and harvested fresh at Château des Creissauds in Aubagne. Between April and October, fennel, verbena, lemongrass, thyme, rosemary, licorice and aniseed are hand-picked and macerated separately in Dame Jeanne.
The spirits are then blended and harmonized in wooden casks for 6 to 10 months. For this exceptional edition, aging continued for 6 years in old cognac casks. This slow maturation allowed the pastis to acquire great suppleness and aromatic concentration.
Nico's tasting notes
The nose is both concentrated and elegant, with a fine balance between spices and herbs. Precision is the order of the day, as is complexity. A little encaustic wax settles like a varnish, as if to freeze this well-mastered picture.
Aeration leads to a more vegetal, fresher profile, with anise becoming increasingly minty. The spices are fresher too, leaning towards caraway and the pan masala blend served at the end of meals in India.
The palate is soft, with hints of anise and licorice, just as a pastis should be. Roundness envelops the palate, which gradually becomes numb with the help of sweet spices like clove and caraway.
The finish is concentrated and resinous, with the sweetness and freshness of herbal candy.
"A rich and elegant pastis, both concentrated and smooth, with or without water..."
MORGANE BRUN
Fast and careful delivery. Delighted with this order!
Patric PANTEL
A collector's whim