🥃 Armagnac

Armagnac is a French wine brandy from Gascony, often compared with Cognac. It has a controlled designation of origin (AOC since 1936). It is distilled from the white wine of ten permitted grape varieties in copper stills, aged for at least a year in oak and sold at 40% vol. or more. A separate type is the colourless «Blanche Armagnac».

The production zone and its three parts were defined by a decree of 25 May 1909. The name «Armagnac» may be completed by one of three additional geographical names, running from west to east: Bas-Armagnac (90 communes of Gers and Landes), Armagnac-Ténarèze (76 communes of Gers and Lot-et-Garonne) and Haut-Armagnac (121 communes of Gers).

The wine is made from baco blanc, blanc dame, colombard, folle blanche, graisse, jurançon, mauzac, mauzac rose, meslier saint-françois and ugni blanc. It is light (7.5–12% vol.) and acidic, and sulphiting the grapes, the must and the wine is forbidden. Everything must be distilled by 31 March of the following year.

The main method is continuous distillation in the «Armagnac» still: a copper column of up to 15 plates, a boiler of up to 40 hl, and a distillate of 52–72.4% vol. The secondary method is double distillation in an à repasse still (65–72.4%). In 2012, 95% of the wine was distilled continuously. The spirit is then aged for at least a year in barrels of sessile or common oak, while «Blanche Armagnac» rests for at least 3 months in inert containers. As early as 1310, Vital Dufour, prior of Eauze, described the «40 virtues» of this spirit.

Why it matters to you. An additional name on the label (Bas Armagnac, Armagnac Ténarèze, Haut Armagnac) means all the grapes come from the corresponding communes. Aged Armagnac is never colourless: its colour runs from pale yellow to mahogany; only «Blanche Armagnac» is colourless. Armagnacs are often blended, and sometimes a vintage year is stated. WHO: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.