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Armagnac: Cognac's lesser-known, yet equally noble, brother

June 18, 2021

France is famous for the Eiffel Tower, croissants, and exquisite spirits – champagne and cognac are two of the most popular. However, only true spirits connoisseurs know about another noteworthy spirit. It's cognac's older brother – Armagnac. What exactly is it? What's the difference between cognac and armagnac? You'll find the answers to these and other questions in this article.

What is Armagnac?

Armagnac is a high-proof alcoholic beverage known as brandy, a natural vodka produced from grapes. It is produced by, most often, a single distillation of white wine and aging in oak barrels. The drink's name comes from the region where it is produced – Armagnac in Gascony.

Where is Armagnac produced?

Armagnac is considered a luxury and niche product. Annual global production of this distillate is approximately 10 million bottles. For comparison, one billion bottles of Scotch whisky are produced in the same period . You might be wondering why its older sibling, cognac, is produced in such incomparably smaller quantities? The answer is simple: Armagnac is produced exclusively in three subregions of Armagnac:

Bas-Armagnac,
Tenareze,
Haut-Armagnac.

All these places are supervised by specially designated organizations – the Bureau National Interprofessionnel de l'Armagnac and the Institut national de l'origine et de la qualité , pursuant to an appellation issued to Gascony in 1936. An appellation is a set of regulations that stipulates (i.e., constitutes certain requirements and reservations) the origin and method of production of Armagnac.

Only 10 varieties of white grapes are allowed to be used to produce this drink, of which only 4 are considered the most valuable:

Colombard,
Baco 22A,
Ugni Blanc,
Folle Blanche.

How is Armagnac made?

As mentioned, the appellation, issued in 1936, strictly defines the conditions and method for producing marketable Armagnac. In October, the white grapes are harvested and subjected to natural fermentation – the juice ferments thanks to the yeasts on the fruit's skin. The resulting wine is quite acidic, with a low alcohol content (around 9%) and a faint aroma. The wine is not intended for drinking; it undergoes a special continuous column distillation process. This means it is placed in alembics, copper pots heated by fire. Interestingly, most houses producing Cognac's older sibling don't own a still – one is rented for distillation purposes using traveling columns that tour the Gascony region after the harvest.

It takes as many as 9 kilograms of grapes to produce one liter of Armagnac.

Distillation takes about five days, after which the resulting spirit contains between 52 and 60% alcohol. Another interesting fact is that the distillation date is predetermined (appellation). It expires no later than March 31st of the year following the October harvest of the previous year.

The next stage is aging. After distillation, the alcohol is placed in oak barrels. But these are not just any barrels. The oak used for their production is sourced from local oak varieties from the Monlezum forest, at least 50 years old. The trees should be characterized by low moisture, even verging on dryness. The barrels have a capacity of 400 liters.

Armagnac age and labeling

After aging, various batches of the spirit are blended to create unique aromas and flavors. The age of the resulting blend is determined by the youngest batch used. The age of Armagnac influences its taste, color, alcohol content (it is said that each year corresponds to a loss of up to 1.5% of alcohol by volume), and price. Therefore, it is divided into age categories:

VS, Three Stars – at least 1.5 years,
VO, VSOP, Reserve – not less than 4.5 years,
O., Napoleon, Vieille Reserve – at least 5.5 years,
Horse d'age – not less than 10 years.

Younger vintages are characterized by a lighter color and stronger flavor. Longer aging, on the other hand, gives the drink a richer aroma and also makes it darker, as it has more time to "absorb" the color from the oak barrel.

How much does Armagnac cost and how to drink it?

The limited number of bottles in certain years, the traditional production method at local companies or among private connoisseurs – all of this attests to Armagnac's uniqueness and translates into its price, which can range from around 120 złoty to several thousand złoty per bottle. Armagnac is one of the spirits favored by investors investing in rare beverages. We write about this here.

Round cognac glasses should be used to drink Armagnac.

Warm the glass in your hands to bring the drink up to a temperature close to your body temperature. Drink the first glass at once to rinse your mouth, then sip the next ones slowly, practically wetting your lips. This noble drink requires a special glass and a ritual – but we assure you, it's worth it!