Armagnac is a place in the south west of France, to the west of Toulouse, in the historic Duchy of Gascony. There are sources reporting distillation in the region as early as 1411, but how close this would be to the modern brandy is hard to say. Certainly the Gascons have been distilling grapes here a long time. As with Cognac, Armagnac began to assume something like its present form in the 17th and 18th century when merchants discovered the effects of ageing in oak on the local spirit. Cognac on the coast near Bordeaux looked to Britain, Holland and the wider world, and became a global industry, whereas inland Armagnac would have been relatively inaccessible until the coming of the railways in the 19th century. Hu, Claire (2008-01-01). "Blanche d'Armagnac draws mixed reactions". Wine & Spirit. Archived from the original on 2009-02-28 . Retrieved 2008-09-23. Castarède XO 20-Year-Old is made from Folly Blanche grapes grown on the estate. The wine is distilled through a column still and placed in white oak casks for a minimum of ten years to comply with the “Hors d’ Age” requirements for XO Armagnac. Armagnac is rich in flavour and, depending on age, will usually have notes of caramel, cocoa, prunes, nuts, vanilla, oak and cinnamon. The opening is delightfully rich and smooth, with a subtle bite of spice on the finish. Understanding Armagnac Age Lettering The Armagnac region lies between the Adour and Garonne rivers in the foothills of the Pyrenees. The region was granted Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) status in 1936. The official production area is divided into three districts that lie in the departements of Gers, Landes, and Lot-et-Garonne. The region contains 15,000 hectares (37,000 acres) of grape-producing vines. The Fallières Decree of 25 May 1909 names the three districts as:

Special Delivery Requests? Let us know if we need instructions for where to find your house or want us to leave your wine in the shed! Baron De Lustrac X.O. 25-Year-Old Bas Armagnac is made predominantly with Folle Blanche grapes and blended with other Armagnac from the surrounding regions. The spirit is then left to age in new oak casks for 25 years and bottled at cask strength. On The Nose Ten different varieties of Armagnac grapes are authorised for use in the production of Armagnac. Of these, four are most common: From Delord comes a bottling of sublime and unbelievably great value Bas-Armagnac, with a delightful wooden presentation box. It was distilled from four different grape varieties, Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Baco and Folle-Blanche before it was matured in oak barrels for 25 years. All tastings reported in the Buying Guide are performed blind. Typically, products are tasted in peer-group flights of from 5-8 samples. Reviewers may know general information about a flight to provide context—vintage, variety or appellation—but never the producer or retail price of any given selection. When possible, products considered flawed or uncustomary are retasted.Delord 25 Year Old Bas-Armagnac is distilled from Ugni-Blanc, Baco, Folle-Blanche and Colombard grapes. The spirit is double distilled through column stills, placed in oak casks, and left to mature for a quarter of a century. On The Nose Janneau have been producing France’s oldest spirit since Pierre Etienne Janneau founded the maison in 1851. Maison Janneau was founded by Pierre Etienne Janneau in 1851 at Condom in Armagnac, and this is still where Janneau carries out all of its Grand Armagnac production; the ageing is still carried out in the ancient cellars built in 1851. It is one of the main producers that carries out the distillation, ageing and bottling of its production fully in the AOC Armagnac region. Armagnac was one of the first areas in France to begin distilling spirits, but the overall volume of production is far smaller than cognac production and therefore is less known outside Europe. In addition, it is for the most part made and sold by small producers, whereas cognac production is dominated by big-name brands, especially Courvoisier (owned by Beam Suntory), Hennessy ( LVMH), Martell ( Pernod Ricard), and Rémy Martin ( Rémy Cointreau). a b c d e f Taylor, Colin Duncan (2021). Menu from the Midi: A Gastronomic Journey through the South of France. Matador. ISBN 978-1800464964.

Clés Des Ducs VSOP Vieil Armagnac is a blend of Armagnacs that have been left to age for a minimum of four years in new light oak casks. The Armagnacs are then bottled in the Distillery’s trademark bottle called “Hammered). On The Nose A far more rustic, intense prospect than its cousin Cognac, Armagnac is a phenomenal spirit in its own right. It is a rich grape brandy from Gascony, and the region is home to some real gems. This tasting set from Drinks by the Dram includes five 3cl samples of some truly fantastic Armagnacs. Our team provides a worldwide drinks review service to assist our readers from every country make informed drinks purchasing decisions for events, parties, gifts, or simply enjoying at home. Salted caramel, sugared almonds and dark chocolate on the opening with dried prunes and dates mid-palate. The finish is rich, warm and well spiced. Best ServedThe region covers around 2,420 hectares (compared with over 75,000 hectares in Cognac) and is divided into three parts: Bas-Armagnac, Haut-Armagnac, and Armagnac-Ténarèze. Bas-Armagnac means ‘low’ because it is less than 120 metres above sea level. Around 50-60% of production is from this sub-region and the sandy, iron-rich soils are said to produce some of the finest grapes in Armagnac. Then there is the tiny Haut-Armagnac, the high ground, up to about 200 metres above sea level, with mainly chalky soils which produce a rare delicate and fruity spirit. It makes up less than 2% of production. Finally, there's Armagnac Ténarèze making up the rest of production, around 40%, with its rich clay and chalk soils leading to a more robust spirit. A lot of Armagnac will be blends of the three regions.

Baron de Lustracis a small spirit producer with estates in the Tenereze and Bas-Armagnac regions. The Distillery only produces a single varietal offering of its unique Armagnac or on a bottled-on-demand arrangement. Our bins hold 18-24 bottles of wine or Champagne or 2-3 cases of lager when filled with ice and water. Drinks will be chilled in 30-45 minutes and will be kept cold for several hours, especially if kept in the shade. Castarède then goes a step further and ages the fine spirit for another ten years in new oak casks, delivering one of the finest Armagnac’s available. On The Nose Rich fruit cake, plums, and spice (think nutmeg, cinnamon) on the opening. Succulent dried fruits mid-palate with subtle yet lingering ginger and oak on the finish. Best ServedWine is made from grapes from the Armagnac region of France and is then distilled through a column still. The resulting brandy is then aged in oak barrels for a minimum of one year before bottling. What Does Armagnac Taste Like?