Armagnac, the oldest French Brandy
We are talking about a brandy over 700 years old, whose production was already mastered in the Middle Ages, but whose trade and production reached its peak in the 12th century.
Armagnac is the result of the continuous distillation of wines mainly from 4 white grape varieties* from a geographical area identified by a controlled appellation of origin, the AOC Armagnac.
The main grape varieties of AOC Armagnac
Ugni-Blanc is the most common. It helped reconstitute the vineyard devastated by Phylloxera. Known for its acidity and yields, but not very aromatic, it is particularly suitable for making young brandies.
Baco-Blanc, a hybrid of Folle Blanche and American Noah.
Colombard gives very pronounced fruity and spicy aromas to blends.
Folle Blanche yields large volumes of acidic and low-alcohol wines, making it an excellent grape variety for brandies. This grape variety formed the basis of the vineyard before the phylloxera crisis; the difficulty of grafting it and its resulting susceptibility to diseases have made it rarer. However, its quality ensures its continued presence in the vineyard.
Aging and maturation of AOC Armagnac
As soon as it is distilled, Armagnac is aged in "pièces": 400-liter oak barrels. These are stored in cellars where temperature and humidity are important for the quality of the aging. The cellar master then monitors the evolution of his brandies:
the extraction of tannic and aromatic compounds from the barrel
the evaporation of part of the brandy and the decrease in alcohol content, this is the “angel's share”
the evolution of aromas from wood and wine through slow oxidation of the Armagnac.
The brandies remain in new barrels until the dissolution of the wood compounds is optimal. They are then transferred to older barrels to avoid an excessive woody taste and continue their slow evolution: woody substances refine, vanilla and prune aromas develop, the "rancio" character appears, and the alcohol content gradually decreases through alcohol evaporation (this is the "angel's share"). The brandy takes on a beautiful amber then mahogany color.
After a certain number of years, which can be around 50 years, the brandies are bottled, so that wood extraction no longer occurs, when it is estimated that their quality is at its peak: these are the famous "demijohns", carefully preserved in "paradises"…
Vintages
This is one of the specificities of Armagnac: its aging and maturation are managed vintage by vintage. We can thus take a real journey through time. Year after year to appreciate its specificities.
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