Armagnac

Armagnac is often referred to as the oldest and youngest brandy in France being first distilled in the middle of the 15th century in adapted perfume stills probably brought over by the Moors. It is also regarded as the youngest since the Armagnaçais are still arguing over how to distil it. The region has always been a very special example of that elusive concept la France profonde, even now well away from the madding crowds, the motorways and the industrial eyesores of modern France. It is tucked away about a hundred miles south of Bordeaux, a land of near perfect rural paradise, gentle, fair and fertile countryside and home to rich food such as foie gras and truffles. This is where countless small firms distil their wines (mainly by single distillation) which are aged in oak barrels for many years until perfected and then kept in glass bonbonnes. Some very rare old armagnacs may date from the 19th century, others, perhaps not quite as old still share the exclusivity with their fruitiness and rich pruny flavours created in the land of rural bliss which we know today as Gascony.

The vineyard area of around twelve thousand hectares is only about a fifth of its big brother cognac to the north but the individual skills of the many small producers have created a wealth of individual aged armagnacs and rapidly dwindling vintages, available at Brandyclassics where we stock a range normally beyond the reach of many collectors and connoisseurs.