Armagnac

The story of Armagnac known as the most ancient eaux-de-vie in France,began at the beginning of the 15th Century in Gascony. However, Armagnac was already known around 1310 at the Vatican where the records speak highly of its merits, as Maître Vidal Duffour who advised the consumption of Armagnac to preserve one's health and stay on good form, setting out 40 virtues of Armagnac.

The Armagnac vineyards are situated in the heart of Gascony,once home to the famous D'Artagnan. It is mainly gently sloping, well exposed hillsides and the climate is quite harsh. The grape varieties used in Armagnac are predominantly Ugni-Blanc, Folle Blanche, Bacco and Colombard.

The creation of Armagnac remains a traditional craft comprising of three stages : the vinification, the distillation and the ageing. Armagnac is obtained from the distillation of white wine in an alambic. The result of this process is stored many years in oak barrels (2 years for three stars quality, more than 5 years for VSOP and more than 6 years for XO). Old vintages are old eaux-de-vie, stored more than 10 years and for which their harvest's year are indicated on their label. If Armagnac is by origin a well appreciated digestive, it takes part in the composition of delicious cocktails, and also in really delicious recipes, as jumped crayfishes singed with Armagnac or Saint Jacques's salad with Armagnac.