The 1987 vintage in armagnac: a single harvest
When a bottle of armagnac shows 1987, it promises a brandy drawn from the grapes of that harvest alone. No blending with other years, unlike VSOP, XO or hors d'âge, which marry brandies of several ages to keep the same signature from one bottle to the next. The vintage, on the other hand, captures a moment: the 1987 harvest, seen through the savoir-faire of a family and a cellar.
It all starts with a dry white wine made from the grape varieties of the appellation: ugni blanc, baco, folle blanche, colombard. When winter comes, it is distilled in the armagnac still, a continuous still, as the appellation's tradition requires. The brandy, colourless and lively as it leaves the still, then goes down into oak casks. The oak gives it its colour, vanilla and spices; the years give it its suppleness, while a portion evaporates, what Gascons call the angels' share.
Once in the bottle, armagnac no longer changes. That is why the bottling date matters: the Castarède 1987, for example, aged 33 years in cask before being bottled in 2020.
1987 in France: a stock market crash and TF1 privatised
On Monday 19 October 1987, the world's stock markets collapsed: this was the crash of October 1987, remembered as "Black Monday". The same year, TF1 became the first French television channel to be privatised. Far from these upheavals, the winegrowers of the Gers brought in their harvest in autumn; the brandies from that winter, kept in the cellars ever since, are the ones you find on this page.
Our 1987 armagnacs, family by family
Nine estates kept part of their 1987 harvest to bottle it. Each has its terroir, its grape varieties, its strength and its way of ageing:
- Armagnac Delord, a family house in Lannepax, in Bas-Armagnac, founded in 1893: a 1987 at 40% ABV, in 70 cl and magnum, with a nose of quince, muscat, dried apricot and mirabelle plum, lifted by vanilla, and a complex palate of liquorice, fig, grape, cinnamon and orange zest;
- Château de Laubade, in Sorbets, in Bas-Armagnac: a 1987 at 40% ABV, made from four grape varieties and aged in 420 litre Gascon oak casks, which the house describes as round, balanced and broad;
- Château de Millet, the Dèche family estate in Eauze: a 1987 at 42% ABV, from baco and ugni, in 70 cl, magnum and 250 cl Gascon pot, with a powerful nose of prune, orange peel and almond, elegant on the palate with oak and cedar, gold medal at the Vignerons Indépendants de France 2019;
- Dartigalongue, in Nogaro, in the heart of Bas-Armagnac, since 1838: a 1987 at 42% ABV, with exotic fruit, a rancio of dried walnut and a hint of elderflower, indulgent and subtle on the palate;
- Armagnac Castarède, a house founded in 1832: a 1987 at 40% ABV, which spent 33 years in cask before being bottled in 2020;
- Baron de Sigognac, made at Château de Bordeneuve: a 1987 at 40% ABV, amber in colour with golden highlights, delicate with passion fruit and vanilla, unctuous on the palate, with a long finish of raisins;
- Château de Bordeneuve, in Castelnau-d'Auzan: a 1987 at 48% ABV, bottled at its natural strength, mahogany in colour, with vanilla, cinnamon and candied orange, presented in a gift box;
- Domaine de Pellehaut, in Ténarèze: a brut de fût (cask strength, not reduced) at 48.8% ABV, pure ugni, with a supple attack and floral notes, distinguished by a gold medal and the Prix du Président de la République at the Concours national des eaux-de-vie;
- Jean Cavé, a distiller and ageing house in Lannepax since 1883: a 1987 at 50.8% ABV, bottled without reduction.
The three bottles of this vintage at natural strength also appear among our brut de fût armagnacs.
What does a 1987 armagnac taste like?
With almost forty years in cask, our 1987s strike a fine balance between fruit and oak. You will find prune, dried apricot, quince, mirabelle plum, candied orange and exotic notes, then liquorice, cinnamon, vanilla, almond and rancio. The colour ranges from golden amber to mahogany, beautiful and luminous in the glass. The finish is long: lively and persistent at Millet, with raisins at Sigognac, with toasted almond at Bordeneuve. When it comes to aromas, each house keeps its signature, and that is the whole point of comparing two 1987s side by side. Reduced to 40 or 42% ABV, the 1987 stays supple; between 48 and 51% ABV, it becomes powerful and needs a little air.
Serving and tasting a 1987 armagnac
Choose a tulip glass and serve at room temperature, never over ice. Let it rest for a few minutes, breathe it in gently, then warm the glass in your palm. The first sip prepares the palate, the second reveals the aromas. As a digestif, it pairs with dark chocolate, a walnut cake or a few hazelnuts.
A 1987 armagnac for a 40th birthday or a ruby wedding anniversary
People born in 1987 are 39 in 2026 and will celebrate their 40th birthday in 2027; couples married in 1987 will then celebrate their ruby wedding anniversary. A bottle from their year, aged in Gascony since their birth or their union, marks this milestone better than an ordinary gift. The 250 cl Gascon pot and the Delord and Millet magnums are for sharing with family; the Bordeneuve in its gift box or a 70 cl bottle, in a case or a gift box depending on the house, fit under the Christmas tree as well as on the birthday table.
Keeping your 1987 armagnac in good conditions
Place the bottle upright, somewhere dark and at a moderate temperature: the alcohol should not stay in contact with the cork. Unopened, it keeps with no practical limit. Once opened, it keeps for several months; when the level drops a lot, air takes up the space, and it is then best to finish it.
Frequently asked questions about 1987 armagnac
How do I choose a 1987 vintage armagnac?
Go by style first: fruity and spicy at Delord, exotic at Dartigalongue, deep at Millet with its prune and orange, floral at Pellehaut. Then take the strength into account, 40% ABV for softness, over 48% ABV for intensity, and then the size.
What types of 1987 armagnac can I find?
Bas-Armagnacs reduced to 40 or 42% ABV, and three bottles at natural strength between 48 and 51% ABV, including a Ténarèze armagnac from Pellehaut. All are single-year vintages, available in 70 cl, and some in magnum or Gascon pot.
Who are the producers of 1987 armagnac?
We offer the 1987s of Delord, Château de Laubade, Château de Millet, Dartigalongue, Castarède, Baron de Sigognac, Château de Bordeneuve, Domaine de Pellehaut and Jean Cavé.
How much does a 1987 armagnac cost?
It depends on the estate, the bottle size (70 cl, magnum, large format) and the strength. Each product page shows its price.
Where can I buy a 1987 vintage armagnac?
At Plaisirs de Gascogne, an online wine and spirits merchant specialising in vintage armagnac: bottles direct from the estates, secure payment, delivery in France and across Europe, with careful packaging.
For nearby years, see the 1986 armagnac and the 1988 armagnac, or all our vintage armagnacs, year by year.
Please enjoy responsibly. Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to health.
Jean Cavé
113 bottles
Armagnac Delord
92 bottles
Baron de Sigognac
90 bottles
Château de Millet
83 bottles
Sempé
82 bottles
Dartigalongue
76 bottles
Marcel Trépout
72 bottles
Clés des Ducs
67 bottles
Château de Monluc
64 bottles
Armagnac Castarède
63 bottles
Château de Laubade
42 bottles
Château de Bordeneuve
32 bottles
