
Made in Gascogne, in the South-West of France, Armagnac is one of the oldest French eaux de vie and is the result of a traditional distillation of white wine.
The production area is divided into three districts which lie in the departments of Gers, Landes and Lot-et-Garonne: Le Bas Armagnac, Le Haut Armagnac, and La Ténarèze.
The four main grape varieties used are Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, Colombard and Baco. They produce white wines, usually slightly acidic and low in alcohol.
Distillation takes place during the winter 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. Immediately after distillation, Armagnac is put to age in "casks": and it is only after a long ageing process that Armagnac reveals its unctuousness and richness … |