Armagnac - the brother of cognac

Armagnac is the name for brandy produced in Gascony in France. In a way, Armagnac is the big brother of cognac and the oldest known French spirit. Armagnac is based on white wines made from the Jurancon, Saint Émilion and Folle Blanche grape varieties. In contrast to cognac, these wines are distilled only once in a continuous distillation process. They are then matured in oak barrels and are classified as V.S. (Very Speciale), Superieur, V.O. and Extra, depending on how long they have been aged. One of the best-known Armagnac brands is Clés des Ducs from the heart of Bas-Armagnac. Many connoisseurs particularly appreciate the V.S.O.P, X.O., Grande Réserve, Extra Grande Réserve and Napoleon bottlings from Clés des Ducs.

Chateau de Lacquy Bas Armagnac 1997/2022 Fut No 105 0,7L 47,50%

Chateau de Lacquy Bas Armagnac 1997/2022 Fut No 105 0,7L

Content: 0.7 Liter (€192.79* / 1 Liter)

€134.95*

Chateau de Lacquy Bas Armagnac 21 Jahre 0,7L 43,5%

Chateau de Lacquy Bas Armagnac 21 years 0.7L 43.5%

Content: 0.7 Liter (€157.07* / 1 Liter)

€109.95*

Chateau de Lacquy Bas Armagnac 17 Jahre XO 0,7L 43,5%

Chateau de Lacquy Bas Armagnac 17 Yo XO 0,7L

Chateau de Lacquy Bas Armagnac 17 years XO 0.7L

Content: 0.7 Liter (€129.79* / 1 Liter)

€90.85*

Chateau de Lacquy Bas Armagnac 7 Jahre VSOP 0,7L 40,5%

Chateau de Lacquy Bas Armagnac 7 Yo VSOP 0,7L 40,5%

Chateau de Lacquy Bas Armagnac 7 years VSOP 0.7L 40.5%

Content: 0.7 Liter (€85.64* / 1 Liter)

€59.95*

Details

Cles des Ducs Napoleon Armagnac, 0,5L, 40%

Cles des Ducs Napoleon Armagnac 0.5L 40% A wonderful brandy from Gascony Armagnac is produced in three regions in Gascony, a particularly sunny region in the southwest of France. These wine-growing areas, which together cover around 100 km², are the famous Bas-Armagnac, Haut-Armagnac and Ténarèze. Since 1909, the name, origin and production of Armagnac have been regulated by a state regulation, the so-called Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (controlled designation of origin). The history of the spirit, however, goes back much further. Armagnac was first mentioned in documents in 1461. At that time, the wine-growing knowledge of the Romans was combined with the distilling skills of the Moors and the high-quality barrels of the Gauls, and brandy was distilled for medicinal purposes for the first time in the region. The quality of the brandy improved from generation to generation, and Armagnac's good reputation reached its peak in the middle of the 20th century. As popularity increased, however, so did demand, and unfortunately some manufacturers at the time preferred to produce mass rather than quality. This caused France's oldest spirit to lose prestige, particularly in the post-war period. Even though the quality has long since returned to its old standard, Armagnac is often mistakenly seen as an inferior cognac. However, if you try both spirits at the same time, you will find that this is by no means the case. A good Armagnac, with its rather tart, distinctive bouquet, is definitely on a par with Cognac, but is still different enough to be unmistakable. How is Armagnac made? The production of Armagnac is very different from that of Cognac. The only thing they have in common is that both brandies are made from white wines. For Armagnac, the base wine is pressed from the grape varieties Folle Blanche, Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Baco 22 A, Jurancon and Saint Émilion. This is followed by a simple continuous distillation, which distills the base wine to 55 - 56% vol. Cognac is double distilled in closed kettles and then filled into barrels at over 70% vol. While cognac is stored in barrels made of Limousine oak, Armagnac is stored in the holm oak typical of the region. This gives the spirit its distinctive and pleasant, slightly bitter taste thanks to its high tannin content, and additional coloring in the wood ensures that the Armagnac takes on a natural color more quickly. Clés des Ducs Napoleon This special specialty from the traditional company Clés des Ducs from the heart of Bas-Armagnac matured in small holm oak barrels for eleven long years. While the beautiful amber color alone suggests a high-quality spirit, this assumption is confirmed by the wonderful bouquet with its numerous dried fruit, flower and nut aromas. Vanilla, toffee and a slightly sweet and bitter taste are revealed on the palate. The long aftertaste impresses with fine spicy notes. A brandy for connoisseurs!

Content: 0.5 Liter (€59.90* / 1 Liter)

€29.95*

Cles des Ducs Armagnac VSOP, 0,7 L, 40%

Cles des Ducs Armagnac VSOP 0.7L 40% The history of Armagnac Armagnac is often ridiculed as the little brother of cognac, which supposedly cannot hold a candle to it in terms of quality. The fact is, however, that Armagnac is an independent product with outstanding quality and history that has nothing to hide from cognac. The history of this special French brandy begins in 1461 - that of cognac only in the 17th century. At that time, it was first mentioned in documents that a distillery in the Landes department was granted permission to produce brandy. This early art of spirits production goes back to three cultures. While the Romans brought winegrowing to the region, the Gauls provided suitable barrels and the Moors laid the foundation for the production of Armagnac with their knowledge of the art of distilling. The spirits from that time were still relatively inferior and were mainly used for medicinal purposes. However, the skills of the distillers improved from generation to generation and Armagnac became one of the most respected spirits in the world. With its good reputation, demand also increased. Armagnac was extremely popular, especially in the post-war period, which prompted some manufacturers to produce quantity rather than quality. What followed was severe damage to its image, which Armagnac is still struggling with today. However, the quality of the spirit has long since returned to its previous level. The production of Armagnac Another untruth about Armagnac is that it is just a cognac from another region. However, this statement is incorrect, as Armagnac is clearly different from its younger brother in terms of production. While cognac is double distilled in closed stills, Armagnac is simply distilled in a continuous process. The 55 - 56% raw spirit is then stored in barrels made from holm oak, which is typical for the region. This differs from the Limousin oak barrels used for storing cognac due to its high colorant and tannin content. The natural colorants from the wood give the spirits a beautiful amber color after just a short period of storage. The high tannin content gives young Armagnacs a pleasantly bitter taste. Clés des Ducs VSOP In the heart of Bas-Armagnac, the best of the three Armagnac regions, the traditional company Clés des Ducs produces the highest quality Armagnac. The VSOP is particularly popular. It is a blend of four to twelve year old distillates that have matured in 400 liter barrels made from the best holm oak. It is characterized by its particularly fine and floral bouquet and its slightly astringent taste. An absolutely high-quality VSOP that offers both price and performance!

Content: 0.7 Liter (€39.29* / 1 Liter)

€27.50*

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The Paulsen Collection Bas-Armagnac 30 Jahre 1977, 0,7L 40%

The Paulsen Collection Bas-Armagnac 30 years 1977, 0.7L 40%

Content: 0.7 Liter (€142.79* / 1 Liter)

€99.95* €139.75* (28.48% saved)

Cles des Ducs Armagnac XO, 0,7 L, 40%

Cles des Ducs Armagnac XO, 0.7 L, 40% A brandy with tradition If you ask about brandy from France, you'll probably only hear "Cognac"! Sometimes people will then add that there is also Armagnac, "a type of small Cognac from a different region". Statements like this quickly make it clear that Armagnac has a prestige problem. Unfortunately, it has only itself to blame for this, as at the height of its popularity in the middle of the 20th century, some manufacturers preferred to offer quantity rather than quality. The formerly excellent reputation of Armagnac therefore took a significant hit in the post-war period, from which it has not really recovered to this day. Even though the quality has long since returned to its previous level, Cognac is always viewed as being of a higher quality. This is unfortunate, as the quality of Armagnac is in no way inferior to that of Cognac. The history of Armagnac begins in 1461, when a document confirms for the first time that a distillery in the Landes department was granted a license to produce brandy. At that time, Moorish knowledge of the art of distilling was combined with Roman experience in winemaking and Gallic skills in barrel building. The first mentions of the production of Cognac date from the 17th century, when Armagnac had already been produced for over 130 years. The knowledge of the skillful distillation of wine was passed down from generation to generation, and Armagnac was thus able to achieve its unusually high quality. The art of Armagnac production The production of Armagnac has few parallels to the production of Cognac, apart from the use of white wine as the starting product. The base wines for Armagnac are made from the acidic and flavorful white grape varieties Colombard, Folle Blanche, Ugni Blanc, Baco 22 A, Saint Émilion and Jurancon. This is followed by a single distillation in a continuous still. The resulting distillate has an alcohol content of 55-56% vol. and is transferred to holm oak barrels for storage. The wood of this type of oak is rich in natural colorants and tannins, which means that young Armagnac quickly acquires an attractive color and a pleasant sweet-tart taste. The production of the cognac is based on a double distillation in closed stills and subsequent storage at over 70% vol. in barrels made of Limousine oak, which are significantly poorer in colorants and tannins. Cles des Ducs Armagnac XO Unlike in the Cognac region, there are only a few large manufacturers in the Armagnac region. The majority of the products are offered by small producers, which means there is an enormously positive variety of brands and products. One of the best known manufacturers is Clés des Ducs from the heart of Bas-Armagnac. The XO is one of the flagships of this traditional company, for which only the oldest and best spirits are used. This Armagnac with its great amber color reveals a firework of aromas on the nose. Dried fruit, leather, tobacco, lemon and orange zest can be detected, among other things. The experience on the palate is in no way inferior to the smell. When drinking, wonderful notes of violet, vanilla and hazelnut emerge. The long aftertaste is warming and satisfying. A brilliant Armagnac that is best enjoyed with a good cigar or pipe!

Content: 0.7 Liter (€89.93* / 1 Liter)

€62.95*

Armagnac - the brother of cognac

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