Discovering the World of Armagnac

It comes to no surprise to anyone that France is a country rich of so many unique products.  Almost as if every region had, through history, invented they’re own specialty that you can only find there.  And so through time France has become a staple on so many different aspects of our lifestyle, no wonder they call it: “L’art de vivre à la française”.

Of course some items are more popular than others, just think of the craze surrounding champagne.  The sparkling wine is so popular that other countries producing sparkling wine are using the name “Champagne” as a marketing and sale tool!  But today I don’t want to go in depth on Champagne but on another unique product that France offers us…Armagnac.

For those not familiar with it, Armagnac is a grape based eau-de-vie that originates from the south west of France.  A region rich with the history of gastronomy and wines.  

In our case, we are talking about a brandy often compared to cognac, but there are some differences between both of them.  First of all, Armagnac can hold three different appellations on the label: Bas-Armagnac, Armagnac-Ténarèze and Haut-Armagnac (out of the three, Bas-Armagnac has always been known to produce the highest quality and most reputed eau-de-vie).  Secondly, unlike Cognac who uses mainly Ugni Blanc, Colombard and Folle Blanche grapes, Armagnac allows the use of four of them; Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Folle Blanche and Baco Blanc (note that other grape varieties are allowed in the rules of the appellations but the ones I mentioned are the main ones used in the blend).  And thirdly, Armagnac also allows the producers to bottle some vintage eau-de vie rather than just some age mentions on the bottle (ex: VS, XO, VSOP, etc…).  

For those who want more intricate details and information on the Armagnac appellations I suggest you visit the following website:

So what really makes it so special to my eyes?

Personally, in my experience, Armagnac throws you more authenticity and originality.  A lot of it is still produced in small batches and owned by family operated distilleries and vineyards.  Not your classic example of Cognacs powerhouses owned by a group like LVMH.  Bas-Armagnac always gives me that feeling like you are drinking something that someone cared about and nurtured. And the fact that you can drink some specific vintage brandies is also very appealing and makes the tasting experience even more so interesting.  On top of that the pairing just comes naturally with a good Cuban cigar and depending on the type of Armagnac you can pair it with different profiles of cigars.  No wonder that it has been a long time companion of cigar smokers in France and has slowly made its way on the international scene thus replacing a lot of cognac in the glass of amateurs.

Now going more in depth I wanted to showcase a Bas-Armagnac to finish this article.  More specifically from my favourite house of Bas-Armagnac, Francis Darroze.  

Like I mentioned earlier, Bas-Armagnac is known as the more quality oriented eau-de-vie out of the three Armagnac appellations.  Giving you a lighter more delicate and fruity brandy.  And let’s say that Francis Darroze brings us some of the best Bas-Armagnac you can find out there.  The adventure for the Darroze family started as a quest to source out the best brandies possible to sell at their restaurant.  The business started with Jean Darroze and his famous restaurant in Villeneuve-De-Marsan, there the family operated one of the most reputed restaurants of the region.  In that restaurant they wanted to showcase only but the best the region of South West France has.  In a quest for more Armagnacs, they would hunt the region and all of the small batch distilleries to purchase their liquid gold.  Once bought, they would carefully age and later bottle those brandies to resell to restaurants and amateurs.  But what makes them different from others is their respect for the “terroir” and domaine from which that eau-de-vie comes from (they source out from around 40 different properties).  So each bottle of Bas-Armagnac will mention the producer, the vintage and the date that the spirit was bottled. There is no blend involving different producers or vintages, everything needs to be respected to showcase to the outmost origin and vintage of the brandy.  It is exactly that philosophy which has permitted Francis Darroze to build such a solid reputation and successful business.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a Darroze bottle of Bas-Armagnac Couzard Lasalle 1996 and wanted to share some tasting notes with you.  This bottle comes from the Couzard Lasalle estate and was bottled after 22 years of aging on November 2018.

The 1996 has a nice golden brown colour and the smell on the nose is presenting delicate yet powerful aromas.  A mixture of macerated fruits and alcohol stick out (if you have large cognac glasses, I suggest you use those to let the aromas develop).  A mixture of fine baking spices and dried fruits are also showing up with some candied fruits.  A nice complexity!  The mouthfeel shows power but is well balanced, a long finish on the palate which leaves you with the feeling of wanting some more.

As for a pairing with a cigar I recommend going for a medium body cigar like a Romeo Y Julieta for instance.  I would suggest going for a classic Churchill if you have the luxury of time ahead of you or if time is an issue a Short Churchill.

I hope this brief dive into the world of Armagnacs has sparked enough interest into you all and that hopefully it will push you to go on your own quest for glory.  Just has the Darroze family has been doing for the past decades to showcase only the best south-west France has to offer.

Below are some Armagnacs from different price ranges that are worth giving a try.