Description
Georges Michel is pleased to recommend his Legend – Spirit of New Zealand as an after dinner digestif to be served in the same manner as Cognac or Armagnac. Legend can also be used in cuisine as a flambés, in sauces or perhaps to pour sparingly over sorbet to cleanse the palate between courses.
Legend – Spirit of New Zealand is made from the pressings of the harvest, i.e. the skins, peel and seeds, and is referred to, in France, as “gène”. At their Marlborough, NZ winery they produce the Legend – Spirit of NZ from Pinot Noir pressings.
The distilling takes place in the winery’s 40 year old copper still. The master distiller’s skill is tested when regulating the cooling temperatures, the successful result being a seamless procedure where only the vapours of good quality or “heart”, as it is known, are taken into the cooling pipes where condensation occurs. After distillation, as is the tradition for Armagnac and Cognac production, the Legend Spirit in Tube is aged in French oak casks for several months until maturation is completed. The resulting “Marc” displays a strong bouquet of grape with hints of spice and vanilla.