Armagnac is a grape brandy produced in the heart of the Gascony region in southwestern France. It is France’s oldest commercial spirit, predating its more famous rival cognac by at least 150 years. See cognac. Armagnac was born out of the convergence of three cultures: the Romans, who introduced the vine to the region; the Arabs who are believed to have introduced, or reintroduced, the alembic still; and the Celts, who brought barrels for storage and aging.
Records indicate that wine was being distilled in the Armagnac region as far back as the fourteenth century for its healing benefits. In 1310, Prior Vital Du Four (1260–1327), a doctor and ordained cardinal in the town of Eauze, in the heart of the region, wrote De conservanda sanitate (“On preserving health”), a treatise on medicine, which includes the forty virtues of “aqua ardens” and instructions for making it from wine, using multiple distillations. See aqua vitae and distillation, history. Commercialization of Armagnac can be traced to the fifteenth century, when it was commonly sold in local markets. The seventeenth and eighteenth centuries saw growth in both domestic and export markets, with increased transport through the ports of Bordeaux, primarily by Dutch traders. By the mid-nineteenth century, the Gers was France’s largest wine-growing region, but the arrival of phylloxera in 1870 resulted in a dramatic reduction of vineyards, with only a quarter of the original 247,105 acres being replanted.
In 1909, the Fallières Decree delimited the zones of Armagnac production, with appellation d’origine contrôlée status being granted in 1936. With these decrees, production rules were laid down, and the three regions of Armagnac were designated: Bas-Armagnac, Armagnac-Ténarèze, and Haut-Armagnac.
Production in the Region
Today the vineyards designated for Armagnac production cover 5,200 hectares (12,849 acres). There are 800 producers (500 are independent, with the remaining 300 associated with six cooperatives and 40 trading houses). The annual average production is 19,000 hl of pure alcohol, equivalent to approximately 6.8 million bottles.
The Armagnac Appellation
The region experiences an ideal climate for viticulture: long, warm springs; hot, humid summers; and long, sunny autumns followed by short and relatively mild winters. The appellation is comprised of three terroirs; previously each terroir held its own appellation. However, since December 2014, there is now only one unique designation, Appellation d’Origine Contrôlee (or AOC) Armagnac, while the three regions, Bas-Armagnac, Armagnac-Ténarèze, and Haut-Armagnac, are now protected geographical indications. Additionally, blanche Armagnac, an un-aged Armagnac, has been recognized since 2005 as a category. Finally, the simple Armagnac appellation is used for spirits that come from more than one of the three regions.
The Three Terroirs
The Bas-Armagnac is the region farthest west and has a relatively flat terrain. The soil is a mix of sand with iron-rich pockets, known as “tawny sands,” with some areas of boulbènes, a rock-like mix of sand, silt, and clay. This region is said to produce a lighter, more elegant style of Armagnac and represents 67 percent of the overall planting in the Armagnac appellation.
Armagnac-Tenarèze lies to the east of Bas-Armagnac, and its rolling hills account for approximately 32 percent of the vineyards producing Armagnac. The soils typically consist of boulbènes along with clay-limestone, and the spirit produced here is fuller bodied and requires longer aging to reach maturity.
Haut-Armagnac is the region farthest to the east and south. Armagnac vineyards are sparse and spread out across limestone-covered hills. This region accounts for only 1 percent of production, though it produces a sizable amount of table wine.
The Grapes of Armagnac
The AOC rules state that ten grape varieties are permitted in the production of Armagnac. In practice, most Armagnac is produced from four main grape varieties: ugni blanc, baco blanc, folle blanche, and Colombard. This diversity offers Armagnac producers a range of options in their blending decision.
Baco blanc (previously called baco 22A) is the only hybrid grape (the product of the folle blanche and Noah varieties) allowed in the French AOC system. It produces wines that are very high in acidity and low in alcohol and is especially well adapted to the sandy soils of Bas-Armagnac. The spirit from baco tends to be round and rich with subtle aromatics and a long finish, typically showing their best after ten to twelve years of aging. Baco accounts for 35 percent of the wine destined for distillation.
Folle blanche, also known as picquepoult, or “lip-stinger,” which suggests its highly acidic nature, was the traditional grape variety before the arrival of phylloxera, but due to its fragility and difficulty in grafting post-phylloxera, it now accounts for only 5 percent of the region’s production. Folle blanche creates spirits with floral and fruity notes that show best in their youth.
Colombard is better known for producing still wines in the area due to its ability to achieve higher sugar levels. Colombard is responsible for just under 5 percent of the wine destined for distillation. In a blend it contributes fruit, spice, and vegetal nuances. Six other varieties are also permitted: plant de graisse, meslier St-François, clairette de Gascogne, Jurançon blanc, mauzac blanc, and mauzac rosé, accounting between them for less than 1 percent of plantings.
Distillation of Armagnac
After a traditional vinification (addition of sulfur is prohibited by AOC law), the naturally low-alcohol base wines (usually between 9–10 percent ABV) remain in contact with their lees until distillation. Ninety-five percent of production in Armagnac is carried out using a type of continuous still known as the alambic Armagnacais. See Armagnac still. The remaining 5 percent use a double distillation pot still, the same type of distillation used in cognac. The spirit generally comes off the still at 52–60 percent ABV, although regulations allow it to go up to 72 percent. All distillation must be complete prior to March 31 of the year following the harvest. These lower distillation strengths yield a spirit rich in flavor compounds. With aging in oak barrels, historically sourced from the local Monlezun oak forests in Gascony, and today increasingly from the Limousin region, the spirit will mature to develop a wide range of aromas and flavors and will gain in color and complexity.
Maturation of Armagnac
The freshly distilled eau-de-vie goes into new 400-liter oak barrels, for a minimum of six months and up to two years (less for the more aromatic varieties). The spirit is then moved into older, more neutral barrels, to continue aging. See élevage.
During its maturation in barrels, Armagnac extracts tannins, aromatic compounds, and color. Extended maturation softens the spirit, while an average 2 percent evaporation (known as the “angel’s share”) enriches the aromas and concentrates the spirit. With time, rancio notes begin to develop while the color deepens. See angel’s share and rancio.
Styles of Armagnac
Armagnacs come in a range of styles, from blended ones to single-vintage ones that can date back many decades.
A VS or 3 *** must be aged for a minimum of one year in oak barrels; a VSOP must be aged for a minimum of four years in oak barrels. Napoleon and XO must both spend a minimum of six years in oak barrels, while the minimum legal age of the youngest eau-de-vie in an hors d’age Armagnac is ten years old. Single vintages, produced entirely from grapes grown in the vintage year indicated on the label, may not be sold if under ten years old.
The younger styles of Armagnac are used for cooking, baking, mixing in cocktails, while the more mature styles of Armagnac are usually drunk on their own or at the end of a meal paired with dessert or cheese courses. While more than 95 percent of the cognac made in an average year is exported, almost half the Armagnac stays home in France.
eau-de-vie; France; health and spirits; and terroir.Andrew, Joseph, Natalino Maga, and Jean-Louis Puech. Armagnac: The Gers Region of Southwest France, the People, the Brandy. Monpellier, France: AVL Diffusion, 2007.
Bureau National Interprofessionnel de l’Armagnac. Armagnac: Come to Your Senses.http://www.armagnac.fr/en (accessed April 20, 2021).
Lebel, Frédéric. L’esprit de l’Armagnac. Paris: Cherche Midi, 2011.
Neal, Charles. Armagnac: The Definitive Guide to France’s Premier Brandy. San Francisco: Flame Grape, 1998.
By: May Matta-Aliah