Armagnac one of France’s two fabulous AOP grape brandies.

from
Behind the French Menu
by
Bryan G. Newman
behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 

The Armagnac tulip-shaped glass.

Locally, it is preferred to a snifter.

   

Armagnac is South of Bordeaux, Cognac is North of Bordeaux.  

Many people expect that Armagnac and Cognac to have similar
tastes; however, these brandies have palpable differences. They are indeed both
grape brandies, and both come from France; however, more or less, there their
similarities end. The grapes used are different, and the taste and aroma are
different. To add to the arguments the residents of both areas are very unhappy
when someone shows their ignorance and treats the two brandies as the same.

The grapes used in Armagnac come from vineyards to the southeast
of Bordeaux; the area covers part of the old province of Gascogne, Gascony. The
other famous French grape brandy is Cognac and comes from northeast of Bordeaux. (Calvados is an AOP
apple Brandy). 

A Baron de Lustrac collection of vintage Armagnacs.
Vintage Armagnacs must be at least ten years in the barrel before
being bottled.
Photograph
courtesy of Dominic Lockyer
www.flickr.com/photos/farehamwine/11750514696/  

My understanding of Armagnac and Cognac differences were reinforced
when we traveled from Angouleme, 50 km (31 miles) from the town of Cognac
to a well-recommended hotel and restaurant to the southeast of Bordeaux in the
Armagnac region. 

At the end of an excellent meal, with my coffee, in the land of
Armagnac, without thinking I requested a Cognac! My request brought a very sniffy response from
an otherwise friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful sommelier, the wine steward. “We only serve
Armagnacs,” he said and continued, “this area is the home of
Armagnac; you will find no Cognac here.” 

Now the backers of the superiority of Armagnac to Cognac and
vice versa all claim that “their” brandy is far superior. The other
brandy is forever doomed to a distant second place. With a withering look, the
sommelier let me know how low I had dropped in his daily visitor’s rankings.
Now for really certified Armagnac supporters, no Cognac may ever be acceptable;
however, I have learned that that can also be their loss. However, I took the knowledgeable
sommelier’s (wine steward’s) advice and ordered a not-too-expensive
Armagnac….it was excellent. While the arguments over Armagnac and Cognac
never end in France, I follow my taste buds and enjoy them both.

Baron de Sigognac
1974 Vintage Armagnac, Bas Armagnac.

The label may be going on fifty,

but the Armagnac will only be as old as it was when it was bottled.
Probably twenty years.
Photograph
courtesy of Dominic Lockyer
www.flickr.com/photos/farehamwine/13241934645/

There are three Armagnac
appellations with different soils that are graded for the wines produced there:

Bas-Armagnac –
Considered by many to be the best.

Armagnac-Ténarèze – Just
below Bas-Armagnac.

Haut-Armagnac – Today,
very little Armagnac is produced in this appellation, so it is unlikely to be
on many labels.

Blanche Armagnac

Blanche Armagnac – A colorless Armagnac made with an eau-de-vie from
any appellation or blend sold after aging for at least three months in
stainless steel containers. The Blanche Armagnac is nearest to a 40% alcohol Marc
(Grappa) and is most usually seen in cocktails. The Blanche Armagnac can be made
from the grapes of any Armagnac appellation or blend. No appellation will
appear on the label.

The Armagnac Appellations
Photograph courtesy of France Today   

Ten different grapes may be used to produce the wines that will
become Armagnac. These are not grown for table wines, they are grown only for Armagnac,
and today only four of the ten grapes are generally used: Colombard, Folle Blanche,
Baco, and Ugni Blanc. 

Each Armagnac house may blend wines from within the same
appellation and then decide if they will use only that eau-de-vie from a single
year. Then the appellation will be noted on the label, correctly along with the
year of bottling. Today, to the label is added the number of years in the
barrel. If the producer uses eau-de-vie combinations from different
appellations or distills the Armagnac outside the appellation, no appellation
may be noted. 

The Armagnac producers come from the departments of Gers and
Midi-Pyrénées in the region of Occitanie and the departments of Landes and
Lot-et-Garonne in Nouvelle Aquitaine. The town of Eauze in the department of
Gers is the economic capital of the Armagnac region. The English language
website of their tourist information office is:

https://www.grand-armagnac.com/

Most Armagnacs sold are vintage brandies, which means they come
from a particular year and are not blended with eau-de-vies from other years.
Unlike blended Armagnacs and Cognacs, which have two distillations, the long
aging is the source of the Armagnac taste. Vintage Armagnacs are often aged in a
barrel for 15 years or more, with a minimum of ten, and consequently are more
expensive than blended Armagnacs. The year of the vintage defines Armagnac; the
cognoscenti know which years are the best. After 10,15 or 20 years in a barrel
(at the most 40 years), the brandy is transferred to glass containers called
demijohns until bottled. Armagnacs, like whiskeys, would deteriorate if they
were in a barrel for more than forty years, and most would be in a barrel for
less than twenty years. 

A V.S.O.P. Blended Armagnac.
Photograph
courtesy of Pierre LANNES
https://www.flickr.com/photos/titounet/14822228277/sizes/l/

A younger Armagnac is paler
in color than and not as smooth as an aged Armagnac. If you want a less
expensive but, smooth Armagnac choose a blended Armagnac, it will have been
double distilled. Select your blended Armagnac from among those where the youngest
eau de vie, the brandy used, will be at least four years old, and then the
brandy should be smooth. Blended Armagnacs are produced in much smaller
quantities than vintage Armagnacs and have prices similar to Cognacs. It is the
single-year vintage Armagnacs which are unique and expensive.

The ages of
blended Armagnacs:

Blended Armagnacs show only
the official markings that indicate the age of the youngest brandy in the
blend.

V.S., (Very Special), or ***, three stars – On the
label for an Armagnac where the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend was matured in
oak barrels for at least one year.

 V.O., (Very Old); V.S.O.P. (V.S.O.P.), (Very
Superior Old Pale) and Réserve – The youngest eau-de-vie in these Armagnacs will have
been matured in oak barrels for at least four years.

Vielle Réserve, (Ancient Reserve);
Extra; (Extra), and Napoléon –
All the eau-de-vies in these Armagnacs will have been aged for at least six
years in oak barrels.

X.O. (Extra Old). X.O., Hors d’Age –
Too Old to Determine. This label may only be used when the youngest eau-de-vie
in the blend is ten years old.  

XX0, X.X.0. and X0 Premium –
This label may only be used when the youngest brandy in the blend is twenty
years old. 

Napoleon Armagnac.

One of the names for a
6-year-old plus blended Armagnac is Napoléon. Now all of the various Napoleons
in the history books had long gone before any of the Armagnacs bearing the name
were in a barrel. So, unless the Napoleon you are thinking of is one of the
family’s descendants, six years old and just a year out of kindergarten, this
has no connection to Napoleon.

The job of choosing the wines
and blending those that will be blended with other appellations or blended with
different years and twice distilled blends is carried out by the Maitre de
Chai’ (pronounced shay), the cellar master. His or her nose and taste buds,
coupled with his or her knowledge over many years, make it a critical and
highly paid profession.

Unlike wines, aged brandies
in glass bottles do not change for better or for worse while in a bottle.
Remember to check the label when paying for an old Armagnac; it may be a
45-year-old bottle, but you are just paying for a ten-year-old Armagnac inside?

After you have paid a small
fortune for that excellent bottle of vintage Armagnac, note that, unlike wine,
but like whiskey, the bottle must be stored upright as the liquor attacks the
cork.

Armagnac Casks
Photograph
courtesy of Armagnac 700   
 
Millésimes– Vintage Armagnacs
The year on the bottle indicates
the year of the harvest.
The number of years in the barrel
is not necessarily reflected on the label.

The brandies chosen to be vintage Armagnacs are
selected by the cellar master and stored to age in above-ground buildings or
caves called chais (pronounced shays). The way the barrels are stored, the
space between the barrels, and the temperature and humidity will all affect the
final taste. Every year nearly 3% of the contents are lost through the wood of
the barrel; this 3% is called the angel’s share.

Armagnacs, do not come out of the distillation
and aging process with the same taste as when you open the bottle. The hand of
man gently improves the product. In Armagnac, Cognac, and Calvados, plain
water, sugar syrup, and or Boise, a liquid made from boiled oak chips, may be
added for more of that “natural” aged oak flavor. That beautiful
” warm color” we admire when holding our “snifter” or
Armagnac tulip glass, up to the light may come from a touch of caramel that was
added. Do not let these artificial additions put you off enjoying your Armagnac,
98% or more is Armagnac; I still enjoy sniffing and admiring the color of my
favorite; however, it was made. Creating a great Armagnac is the work of great
fruit, great land, weather, and a great man or woman in the cellar.

The Maitre de Chai follows and tests the
barrels as they age, and as needed, the barrels may be moved to a different
chai with different humidity and temperature. The Armagnac begins to mellow
through the long aging period, and its color changes to darker amber. Here the
experience, tongue, and nose of the cellar master are of the greatest
importance. You will find cellar masters who have been with the same Armagnac
house their whole life, and possibly he or she inherited the job.

Armagnac on French menus:

Terrine
de Foie
Gras à Armagnac Maison, Chutney Oignons Rouges – A pate of fattened duck liver prepared
with Armagnac and served with sweetened red onion chutney.

Paupiettes de Veau aux Pruneaux
et à l’Armagnac –
Thin slices of veal, rolled and stuffed with prunes and flavored with Armagnac.

Rognons
de Veau Flambés à l’Armagnac – Veal kidneys Flambed with Armagnac.

Tartelette Noix de Pécan, Crémeux Verjus,
Caramel, Glace
Armagnac et Raisin Croquants – A small pecan tart prepared with a creamy verjus
flavored with caramel and served with Armagnac ice
cream and crunchy grapes. 

Buying a bottle of vintage Armagnac.

To buy a bottle of vintage Armagnac, you need
an expert with you or at least an up-to-date book on the different years
available from the different producers. Armagnacs are, for the most part, made and sold
by relatively small producers. If the Armagnac House you are visiting or the
wine shops offer a taste of the Armagnacs from an opened bottle, take a taste
and pay for it, and then taste another before you decide. Without an expert at
your elbow, this is the only way that most of us should buy vintage Armagnacs.

For blended Armagnacs, you do not need an expert;
you can travel in the area and taste as many Armagnacs as are on show for a
small contribution to the local economy. The best buys are mainly four and
six-year-old blends, but, caveat emptor, make sure you taste them before
buying.    

Rue Armagnac
Photograph
courtesy of Florian
www.flickr.com/photos/mectouzen/4916934480/
 
The bottling of vintage Armagnacs

When a vintage Armagnac has been aged long
enough in a barrel, it is transferred to large glass bottles called demijohns; the
larger of these bottles can hold 40 liters. When the Armagnac is transferred to
a regular bottle the date of the vintage must also be on the label and the
cork. The Armagnac may have been aged in the barrel for fifteen years, and the
label should also show the date it was bottled. If the date indicates 1970, do
not let anyone try and tell you that that was aged for fifty years. The
Armagnac could be ten years old or twenty years old, and its taste, unlike
wine, will not change once it is bottled. Old Armagnacs from great vintage
years are costly.  If 1920 was a great
year and the Armagnac was produced after it was aged for twenty years, you can
still purchase a bottle of that beautiful brandy in 2021.  The cork is sound it will taste as it did in 1940.

 
Glass demijohn
Photograph
courtesy of Jan Helebrant
www.flickr.com/photos/96541566@N06/49879754648/

Vintage Armagnacs show the year of the vintage
and the appellation on the label. Other names, such as Millennium or Special,
etc., may be added to the label. These are unofficial names; they are creations
of the marketing department and signify the personal views of the Armagnac
House.

I read about an Armagnac lover who tests an
Armagnac by dipping his finger in the brandy and wiping it on his wrist like
perfume. Then after allowing twenty to thirty seconds to pass, during which
time the alcohol burns off, he slowly sniffs the aroma of the Armagnac without
the alcohol. He claimed this test gave him an excellent idea of what the
Armagnac will be like.  I have tried that
method; unfortunately, I do not have enough tastings to create a memory store
on Armagnac aromas.

Floc de Gascogne Blanc.
Photograph
courtesy of Dominic Lockyer
www.flickr.com/photos/farehamwine/15752089559/
 
The Armagnac apéritif is called the Floc de Gascogne.

The famous Armagnac apéritifs, which you will
be offered in the area and elsewhere, are the Floc de Gascogne Blanc and
Rosé.  The white aperitif combines the
juice of white grapes that would otherwise have been used for a regular white
wine with a matured  Armagnac. The Floc
de Gascogne Rosé is called a rosé, though it is red and made from the juice of
grapes used in red wines mixed with an Armagnac.

Floc de Gascogne is a refreshing apéritif; it
should always be served cool, even better when well-chilled, but never frozen
or served with ice. It is pleasant and relatively easy to drink without
realizing that it is very alcoholic. This refreshing apéritif has an alcohol
content of over 16%! You have been warned: three or four of these easily
quaffed aperitifs, and your head may spin with the wonders of Gascogne!  Officially, these wines are called Vins de
Liqueur; they intentionally have the process of fermentation stopped before
completion. The result is a wine with a high sugar content created by adding
Armagnac, which stops the fermentation.

If you buy a bottle or two of Floc de Gascogne
to take home, make sure that they are this year’s production. Floc de Gascogne
is best when drunk very young, and it deteriorates quickly; in any case it is far
too enjoyable to leave on the shelf. The apéritifs Pineaux de Charente from
Cognac and the aperitif Pommeau from Calvados, are made using similar
formulae. 

The Counts of Armagnac.

Armagnac is named after the Counts of Armagnac,
who ruled over the area from about 960 CE. The counts remained theoretically
under the rule of Eleanor of Aquitaine and King Henry II of England during the
various English – French wars, but they pledged allegiance to France. Since the
system of distillation used for liquor was only developed in the 13th
century.  Probably the first brandy
called Armagnac, named after the Counts, was made in the 14th century. The
counts disappeared somewhere in the wars between France and England, but the
brandy and its name remain.

La Bastide D’Armagnac
The town of Labastide-d’Armagnac in the department of Landes
and was founded in 1291 by Bernard VI, Count of Armagnac.
Photograph
courtesy of Pierre_Bn
https://www.flickr.com/photos/91111169@N00/14900234628/     

Independent Armagnac estates will always show
the domain’s address on the front label, along with the appellation
(Bas-Armagnac, Ténarèze, Haut-Armagnac). If not, the spirit was bottled by a
négociant ( a wholesaler) in another part of France, then they may have labels
that only read “Armagnac.”  The
labels that just reads Armagnac are because the liquor is a blend of
various appellations or because the grapes were grown in one appellation of
Armagnac and distilled in another.

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by
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behindthefrenchmenu@gmail.com

 
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Posts on other brandies:
 

Deciphering Cognac Labels and How to Tell the Age and Grade of a
Cognac. 
 
The Aging and Blending of Cognac, France’s most Famous Brandy.
Cognac II.
 
Pineau de Charentes; the Aperitif of France’s Cognac region. Cognac
III.
 
Cognac the Town, and Visiting Cognac and Tasting the Product.
Cognac IV.
 
Calvados – The Most Famous Apple Brandy in the World. Calvados on
French Menus.

 
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Desserts That are Frozen, Iced, Chilled or Glazed.
 
Pâtés and Terrines. An introduction to the meat, fish, vegetable
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Rognons – Kidneys on French menus.
 
Tastevin – A Sommelier’s Odd Looking Cup, Worn on a Neck Chain
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Vinegar, Vinaigrette and Verjus in French Cuisine.
 
What
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