The Creation of Armagnac

Armagnac uses a collection of white grape varieties, each one very different from the next allowing this aromatic balance that is so particular to our region.

The Baco takes a predominant position, particularly in the Bas-Armagnac. It contibutes to the structure of our alcohols and gives full, rich and weighty aromas that require a long ageing in order to express all their roundness, full mellow flavours and length in the mouth.

The Folle Blanche brings freshness and fruit in the first years of ageing. Along with Baco, this variety is part of the cultural heritage of Armagnac.

The Ugni blanc is an ideal variety for distillation and the Colombard completes the list of the varieties must commonly used in the region.

A natural vinification

The grapes harvested in October are pressed and the juice is left to ferment in the most natural way possible, without the addition of any oenological products. The wine is generally quite acidic with a low level of alcohol; it is therefore able to preserve all of its freshness and its aromas until its distillation.

The quality of an Armagnac is already judged right from the moment of the harvest. Great importance is given to the quality of the harvest and the wine grower must make sure to pick the grapes in their optimum state of health. It is this quality that will give us the finesse and complexity in the final Armagnac's aromas.

A continuous distillation

This is the distinctive feature in the creation of Armagnac. We distil our wines thanks to a continuous alambic (armagnac still), that is to say that the wine is 'burnt' only once. This method, noticeably different from that used to make Cognac, allows the eau-de-vie to take on a typical style that reflects the glory of the terroir. During this magic moment, the vapours bubble in the wine and become enriched with aromas and alcohol. All the sublety and aromatic complexity of Armagnac is explained by this exchange during the distillation.

When the eau-de-vie leaves the alambic, it is still full of spirit, but one that is already highly charged with aromas: very fruity (plum and pear, etc.) and often floral (limeflower ...). The ageing in wood will bring additional complexity and smoothness.