History


The Romans brought the vine in these areas of the South West and the Arabs have made the alembic, and the Celts have developed the use of drums. They could not meet until Biscay… known in the Middle Ages for its therapeutic (especially effective against constipation), Armagnac was born in the sixteenth and reached its height in the nineteenth century.


Historians have found traces of a knight: Herreman, companion of Clovis, King of the Franks. Latinisé by medieval copyists, Herreman Arminius would become, then, the local language, Armagnac. In the tenth century, a small county with the same name appeared in Biscay.


The vignoblesIl are 3-producing areas of Armagnac, which are divided on the Gers, the Landes and Lot and Garonne. (See map):


Le Bas Armagnac
The Ténarèze
The High Armagnac
Le Bas Armagnac is often viewed as a production area of higher quality; the High Armagnac has lost a lot of acres of vineyards and appellations areas of the AOC Will follow accordingly.
The decree of May 25, 1909 in the Bas Armagnac landais 24 municipalities cantonal authorities Aire sur l'Adour, Villeneuve de Marsan, Roquefort and Gabarret. Those municipalities are the spearhead of Armagnac.


During tertiary ocean covered this area and he left by withdrawing significant layers of sand and seashells, and the basement is composed in large parts of clay mixed with these shells, these sands and iron pyrites .




The dark patches of a thick oak profound and mysterious aroused the qualifier purely visual or literary 'black Armagnac. " The vineyards and fields in a symphony agree with the delicate wild moors to the thorny gorse and oak woods.
The Vines




Armagnac is obtained by the distillation of white wine produced primarily from grape Folle Blanche and Colombard Ugni whites.
Grapes Jurançon, Blanquette, Mauzac, Bacco, Clairette, Picquepoult are used mainly as a supplement in the vineyards ..


The grapes harvested for distillation should have a low alcohol content (8 ° -9 °)
An acid important to a favorable development aromas brandies.
The grapes are pressed immediately harvested, then left to the fermentation for about a month before being distilled.


Despite a distillation authorized until December, this is done as soon as possible because the wort grape must remain unprotected, without adding product wine and without racking.


Distillation:


Not long ago, one hundred still traveled the campaign armagnacaise, distilling wine to property. The distiller and his alembic were received as guests. Aujourd'Hui, the wines are often brought in a boiler occupation or workshop cooperative.


It is made with an alembic armagnacais where wine is distilled in a single pass on a continuous basis. The cooling of the water of life is provided by raw materials in copper coins (no other metal is used in an alembic).


Upon his release from the alembic, the water of life (between 53 ° and 65 °), colorless, is directly put into oak barrels in the country (called units), identified one by one, mentioning the year distillation, the extent and volume of pure alcohol content.




The aging


These pieces of a capacity of about 400 liters were collected in Chais. The water of life will then stay until 18 months in new parts where the dissolution of contents tannin will give its amber color. Armagnac is then transferred in parts exhausted where he ages for at least ten years, and usually more than 14 years.


Armagnac, then enriched and refined by reactions complex leaves escape during these years of alcohol vapor forming mushrooms on the walls of the cellar; this evaporation, giving a bouquet end floating in the wine, is called poetically the angels.




The conservation


When Armagnac is finally ready, it is bottled (43 °), where he n'évoluera more. The bottles are placed upright in a cellar in the ideal temperature of 12 °. The quality of each bottle depends on the time of aging and the vintage.


Tasting


The bottle of Armagnac was opened with great care and the neck perfectly clear .. Neither too much nor too little, Armagnac can be enjoyed at the corner of a fire, smoking a cigar and by turning very slowly to collect the first perfume.






The professional taster needs to be in an environment odorless, fasted (mouth and body without perfume) in a test room odorless at a temperature of 20 ° C.


The glasses are washed with water then stamped with Armagnac that will be tasted. The glass is held by the foot between the thumb and forefinger, it will then apprécierLa color of Armagnac in connection with his age
The clarity always perfect
The first impression olfactory and its persistence
The first impression of taste and his insistence
And finally, the quality of the glass bottom.