Bielle Brut de Fût 2006

Bielle distils on Marie Galante, and this Brut de Fut from the 2006 vintage is a cask strength, fourteen year old expression bottled at 47.8%. Pressed from fresh sugar cane juice on a column still and matured in ex bourbon oak, it is a long aged Guadeloupe IGP agricole that keeps a notable freshness despite its years in tropical wood.

The nose stays citrus led, with orange, a fresh lift and the barrel showing through, and the palate strikes a fine balance between fruit and oak, layering vanilla, lemon and well judged wood. The finish brings spice, fruit and an earthy depth, with a touch of oak bitterness rounding it off. Left in the empty glass overnight it keeps revealing more on the nose. A mature yet vibrant agricole where the cask gives the fruit its due rather than smothering it, this is a serious Marie Galante bottling.