Armagnac... the oldest French eau-de-vie

Armagnac...

...the oldest French eau-de-vie

In the heart of Gascony...

In the South West of France, between Bordeaux and Toulouse, in the heart of Gascony, Armagnac is produced by distilling white wine in a still and ageing for many years in oak barrels before bottling. It comes in blends, or, as is specific to Armagnac, in vintages.

Armagnac is a craft product, made in small quantities by vine growers and wine merchants who carry on the old traditional methods and techniques. The diversity of the local soils and grape varieties give to this eau-de-vie (brandy), a rich and distinct character, like that of its craftsmen and its natural environment. Armagnac is the oldest French eau-de-vie. Traces of its production and consumption go back to the 14th century.

Maybe even further back, when the Romans introduced the vine culture to this region. Later the Arabs brought the still, and the Celts introduced the barrels.

The name «Armagnac» derives from Herreman who was a knight of King Clovis (5th century). Herreman was granted the fiefdom of Gascony. The name is believed to have been Latinised and then distorted into «Armagnac» by local language.

Armagnac owes its commercial development to the Dutch. As the English had banned passage of any wine other than Bordeaux over the Garonne river, the Dutch had the idea of developing the distillation of Gascony wines in order to produce spirits, which were not covered by the embargo. So production increased, and to overcome the fluctuations in good and poor years, Armagnac was laid to age in oak barrels. This blend of oak and eau-de-vie revealed the roundness, aromatic intricacy and the colour if Armagnac.

The 40 virtues of Armagnac...

Whilst Armagnac is the oldest French spirit, it was originally consumed for its therapeutic qualities. Some historical documents attest to this, in particular a book dated around 1310 which is preserved in the archives of the Vatican. A man of the church, known as the Prior of Eauze and Saint Mont, Prior Vital Dufour had also pursued studies in medicine, and wrote:

" De Maitre Vital Dufour... a very useful book for maintaining health and keeping in good form... ":

" This water, if taken medically and soberly is said to have 40 virtues... It enlivens the spirit, consumed in moderation, recalls the past to memory, renders men joyous, preserves youth and retards senility... "

Recent scientific works show that this eau-de-vie does have known therapeutic capacities. Its properties are due to the wood tannins that results from the long ageing process in oak barrels. Another medical team has also just proved the protective role Armagnac in blood platelet clumping (one of the causes behind cardio-vascular illnesses).


Terroirs & Cépages

In Armagnac, there are several local soils, Bas-Armagnac, Armagnac-Ténarèze and Haut-Armagnac. They make up a vine leaf-shaped wine area which contains 15,000 hectares of vines planted across three counties: Gers, Landes and Lot-et-Garonne.

The diversity and adaptability of the local soils determine the grape varieties. Of the ten grape varieties authorised in Armagnac production, four in particular leave their imprint on the eau-de-vie: Ugni-blanc, Folle Blanche, Baco 22 A, Columbus.

Natural wine-making process

The grapes harvested in October are pressed, and the juice is fermented completely naturally with no oenological additives. The wine is generally acidic and low in alcohol; it therefore has the ability to preserve its freshness and aromas until distillation.

Distillation

Distillation takes place during the winter. The wine is often distilled on the estate, sometimes using a mobile distiller which moves from winery to winery to distil the vine growers' wine. It is also produced in distillation workshops by professional distillers and cooperative cellars. The essential part of Armagnac (approximately 95%) is obtained with a still which is very specific to this eau-de-vie: the continuous Armagnac still.. This is a pure copper apparatus, which was patented in 1818 and has since been adapted, modified, and improved by regional distillers. It genuinely forms part of the character of Armagnac. Double distillation is also used by some Armagnac houses who have remained very attached to it.

Ageing

Immediately after distillation, Armagnac is put to age in "casks": these are 400-litre oak barrels, mainly from the forests of Gascogny and Limousin. These casks are stored in wineries where the temperature and humidity are important to the quality of the ageing process. From then on, the cellar master supervises the development of his eaux-de-vie The eaux-de-vie remains in new casks until the wood materials are optimally dissolved. They are then transferred to older barrels to prevent excessive wood flavours from being infused in the Armagnac, and to continue its slow development: the woody substances are refined, the vanilla and prune aromas grow, the "maderization" character begins to appear, and the alcoholic content drops progressively through the evaporation of alcohol (which is "the angel's share"). The eau-de-vie takes a beautiful amber colour; later changing to mahogany.

Blends

When the Cellar Master considers the ageing sufficient, he begins "mixing": harmoniously blending various eaux-de-vie of different origins and ages. The alcohol content (minimum 40% by volume) can be obtained by progressively adding "petites eaux" made up of a mixture of distilled water and Armagnac.

Vintages

Vintages, specific to Armagnac, correspond exclusively to the year of the crop. Reduction is not practised here, because the ageing winery is humid, and the eaux-de-vie are sold at their natural degree of ageing, which generally falls between 40% and 48% by volume.. The Armagnac ceases to age once bottled. The bottle must be stored upright so that the alcohol does not reach the cork.

We continue this article in the next issue of our discovery column:

More about the grape varieties

How to read an Armagnac label

Different ways to enjoy Armagnac

We would like to thank the Bureau National Interprofessionnel de l'Armagnac for the information provided.