Armagnac is the oldest brandy made in France.

Armagnac is the oldest brandy made in France. Recognised in the Middle-Ages for its therapeutic properties, Armagnac came into its own in the 15th century, growing to become a truly commercial product.

In about 1830, the trading houses started trading on the Baïse river, a navigable tributary of the Garonne, because at the time the only way of transportation available was by water.

The vines were destroyed by phylloxera in the 1870 s to be reborn at the beginning of the 20th century.
Trading in Armagnac reached its peak in the 19th century. It was in 1909 that a decree, issued under the presidency of a local boy, President Fallières, delimited the region permitted to produce this brandy.

The decree of August 6, 1936 defines the Armagnac Appellation Contrôlée and its three regions.

The Armagnac Appellation forms a triangle covering three departments:

• practically all the Gers department,
• plus to the west a few cantons of Landes,
• and to the north a few parishes of Lot-et-Garonne.

Three producing regions provide brandies characterised by different traditions:

The Vinestocks

Like cognac, Armagnac is produced from the distillation of white wine. The vinestocks used are in some cases the same: Ugni blanc (also called Saint-Emilion and making up most of the vinestock since the phylloxera disaster), Colombard which is becoming more and more widespread, Folle Blanche, also called Piquepoult in Armagnac, which dominated the vinestock until the 19th century.

The crafting of Armagnac has remained a small-scale traditional industry and consists of three steps, all of equal importance:

• Wine production
• Distillation
• Ageing

Wine production:

Armagnac brandy is crafted from white wines produced from white grapes with high acidity and a low alcohol content.
These white wines are prepared in the most traditional fashion, without addition of sulphur or sugar.

Distillation: by continuous flow

Distillation by continuous flow: The distillation takes place over the winter, as soon as the fermentation has ceased, but must be completed before March 31 of the year following the grape picking. A special Armagnac still is used, the principal characteristic of which is that it is designed to function continuously.
The resulting brandy corresponds to 52 - 60° (unlike Cognac, produced by double distillation or double heating - known as repasse, to produce brandy at 70° or more).

As it leaves the still, the brandy is colourless and very aromatic. It needs contact with wood and numerous years of ageing to develop its full richness.

Ageing:

This is one of the most important steps in the production of fine Armagnac.
Two factors would appear to be primordial: the cask and the cellar.

Firstly, the quality of the casks is dependent upon several factors, the skill of the cooper, the preparation of the wood and its origin. A Gascony legend declares that the casks should be made from oaks that have watched the vines grow.

Next, the quality (and more particularly the hydrometry) of the cellar is primordial. The drier the cellar, the more the Armagnac will itself be dried. The wetter the cellar, the more supple and round the brandy.

As soon as the Armagnac has been distilled, it is placed in 400 litre oak casks. It is this contact between the brandy and the oak which forms the veritable basis of the Armagnac.
This alchemy between the two has never been elucidated by scientific investigation. Armagnac is a magical product, practically divine. The brandy takes on a beautiful amber colour, then that of mahogany.

Armagnac does not evolve in the bottle. It is ready to be savoured xo etas soon as it is purchased. It can also be stored on condition that the bottle is stood upright to prevent the alcohol from damaging the cork.

The Armagnacs available for purchase are labelled according to the time spent ageing in the oak cask:

• "XXX" is a blend of brandies in with the youngest has been aged for at least two years,
• "VSOP" or "reserve" is a blend in which the youngest has been aged for at least five years in the cask,
• "XO" or "Napoleon" which contains brandies at least six years old,
• "Hors d'Age" (outside age category) is a blend in which the youngest brandy has been aged for at least ten years.

The vintages, which are an Armagnac speciality, correspond exclusively to the grape harvesting year noted on the label.

The art of tasting an Armagnac

Tasting an Armagnac should be a moment of true pleasure. An Armagnac flomay be unique in its category and will not be less so in its character or constituents.

Visual phase: this is the initial contact with the brandy. The taster will examine its clarity, brilliance and colour. Gently swirling the brandy in the glass produces "tears" running more or less rapidly along the side.

Aroma: do not put your nose into the glass otherwise certain aromatic sensations will be lost. Swirl the brandy to release its most subtle fragrances.

Seven main aromas may be distinguished, resulting from the natural ageing the brandy: nut, peach, violet, lime blossom, vanilla, prune and pepper.



Taste: test the freshness, the balance and the subtle roundness. The longer the brandy has aged in wood, the lower its tannin content. The longer the brandy's finish, the greater its quality.

The main differences between Armagnac and Cognac:

Climate :

The Armagnac climate is sunnier , the Cognac ones is more oceanic and humid.

The soil :

Sandy and clay rich in iron in Armagnac that gives a distinctive richness to the product and a chalky soil in Cognac area.

Grape varieties :

Four grape varieties for the Armagnac that give an inimitable complexity to the blend ; only two for the Cognac.

Oak :

Armagnac is aged in black oak from the Monlezun forest, Cognac in oak from Limousin region.

Distillation :

The distillation process is the main difference between the two spirits : Single and continuous distillation for Armagnac that gives more fragrance and flavors, double distillation for the Cognac with a high Alcohol concentration at the end. The degree difference is showed at first time.

Vintages :

They remain specific to Armagnac with an excellent tracability of the stocks. For example 1978 indicates that the Armagnac has been distilled in 1978 that means the exact year of the crop. Vintages remain rare in Cognac , they are not usual. Furthermore the bottling date used in Armagnac allow to know exactly the true age of the Armagnac.

Miracles of Armagnac

"Lauded in the Middle Ages for its therapeutic properties vertus vital(some 40 "virtues" were identified by one doctor-turned-cardinal in the 14th century: Maître Vital Dufour), more recently armagnac has been credited by researchers at the University of Bordeaux with anti-oxidant powers similar to those of red wine. And the news gets better. The same researchers have since discovered that rats fed on a high-fat diet and armagnac did not gain weight, unlike rats fed the same food and a substitute alcohol. "

Armagnac
Amber Paradox
by Chris Redman
www.francetoday.com

Armagnac and Obesity

Continuing research into the properties of Armagnac has discovered even more reason to drink France's oldest eau-de-vie, with a suggestion that it may help fight against obesity.

In 2005, Professor of Pharmacology, Nicholas Moore from the University of Bordeaux discovered that armagnac drunk moderately and regularly has a beneficial effect on our health, namely in the prevention of heart attacks and thrombosis. The scientific trials published in a Thrombosis Research review showed that the components have a protective effect on the arteries regarding the risk of thrombosis.

Professor Moore has now been concentrating his studies into the 'Syndrome Métabolique' – the gaining of weight, cholesterol, diabetes, triglycémie ..... so many illnesses and ailments associated with the excesses of modern living that often involve a diet full of sugars and too many fats.

The first results have been very favourable following a year where laboratory rats have been subjected to a 'cantine diet' (scientifically designed) along with a moderate regular consumption of Armagnac. It appears that the metabolism of the overly nourished rats is comparable to that of an animal on a standard diet showing no weight gain. The same experiment conducted using only the ethanol (the alcohol) had a much lesser effect which confirms that it is the vegetal extracts of the Armagnac (from the grapes and the Gascon wood) that are responsible for this desirable outcome. It is unlikely that further tests will be carried out due to these positive scientific results for Armagnac.

Armagnac Castarède in the prestigious places.

Cocktail has become a new way to appreciate Armagnacs, young or white ones.
The Armagnacs Castarède may already be tasted in cocktails peuvent in two wonderfull places:

Le Bar de l'Escadrille at the Fouquet's - Paris 8°: Le Jasmin Blanche Castarède Fresh lemon juice Banana Nectar Jasmin Syrup Lady Love Blanche Castarède Grand Marnier Fresh Orange Juice Brut Champagne Le Castarède Blanche Castarède Liqueur de Fraise des Bois Jus de Pêche Ginger Ale

The Regent Hotel - Bordeaux - Joseph Kessel 5ml of cherry syrup 15ml of Fresh Cream (crème fraîche) 2cl of Sherry 2cl of Brandy 5cl of Armagnac Castarède VSOP

Blanche Castarède

Wild Strawberry liquor

Peach juice

Ginger Ale

Eros cocktail launch

Cocktail Eros has been launchedon the 9th june during our event with Château Beaulieu (Rosé de Provence) and the paintings presented by Rita Kuoh

EROS

4cl of Triple Sec
15cl of Armagnac*** / Sélection
5cl of Apple Juice
3cl of Cranberry juice
0,5cl sugar syrup