Sempe Armagnac Grande Reserve
Sempe Armagnac Grande Reserve is a blended Bas-Armagnac from Gascony, France, built from eaux-de-vie aged 15 to 30 years and bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) in a 750mL bottle — and it is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA. From Maison Sempé — founded in 1934 by Abel Sempé, who built it into one of Armagnac's great trading houses — it is single-distilled in the short alambic-armagnacais column still and matured in oak under the cellar master.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: Non-vintage blend — youngest eaux-de-vie 15 years, oldest ~30 years
- Origin: Gascony (Bas-Armagnac), southwest France — Maison Sempé, est. 1934
- Distillation: Single distillation in the alambic-armagnacais (53–65°)
Three Decades in the Blend
Abel Sempé was 22 when he founded his house in 1934, and he made Sempé the first Armagnac house to export internationally — the firm has since earned 30+ gold medals. The Grande Réserve draws on what the house calls one of the best reserves of aged Armagnacs in Gascony, blending eaux-de-vie as old as 30 years with none younger than 15. Bas-Armagnac is prized as the finer, drier of the crus, showing spicy notes of cinnamon and violet over wood — and the Sempé house style adds dried fruit, vanilla, honeyed ripe fruit and rancio. Compare it with cognacs and more in the Brandy collection, or browse the house at Sempé.
Tasting Notes
Ample and fruity on the nose. The palate shows woody notes with dried fruit, vanilla, honeyed ripe fruit and spice, growing slowly spicy — cinnamon, violet, rancio — into a long, deep amber finish.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a tulip glass or snifter, at room temperature — a 15-to-30-year blend deserves the full aromatic treatment. Add a drop of water only if you want to open the spice.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Sempé Grande Réserve? It is a non-vintage blend: the youngest eaux-de-vie are 15 years old and the oldest reach about 30 years.
What is Bas-Armagnac? One of Armagnac's three crus, in Gascony, southwest France — regarded as producing finer, drier, spicier brandies than the other regions.
How is Armagnac distilled? Sempé single-distills low-alcohol white wines in the traditional short alambic-armagnacais column still, between 53° and 65°.
Order Sempe Armagnac Grande Reserve online from Del Mesa Liquor — three decades of Gascon oak, delivered in San Diego, CA.