Armagnac (brandy)
Armagnac is a protected designation of origin for brandy ( brandy ) made in Gascony in France . After an ordinance of 1909 some 15,000 hectares of vineyards in the are departments of Gers , Landes and Lot-et-Garonne approved for Armagnac production.
Armagnac is the oldest known French spirit and registered designation of origin under the European Definitions for Spirits. Name, origin and manufacturing process are regulated by law by the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée .
In contrast to Cognac , Armagnac is not distilled in a double distillation process, but in a single distillation process. It is then stored in oak barrels for three to 20 years. The longer the storage, the higher the quality level. The minimum alcohol content is 40 percent by volume.
history
Armagnac is often referred to as the little brother of the more famous cognac. However, cognac production only dates back to the 17th century. The distilling of Armagnac, on the other hand, was mentioned in a document as early as 1461, when a distillery was approved for its production in the area of today's Département Landes. The certificate is in the Musée de l 'Armagnac in Condom .
Three cultures were responsible for this early culture of spirits production: the Romans with their knowledge of viticulture, the Gauls with their craftsmanship of barrel making and the Moors with their distillation technique. At that time, Armagnac was still used as a medicine and was mainly used as a pain reliever and disinfectant. The name of the brandy is derived from its region of origin, the old county of Armagnac .
Manufacturing process
Grape varieties and cultivation
Basis for Armagnac are white wines , which primarily from the vine Ugni Blanc , Baco blanc , Colombard and Folle Blanche are produced. Ten grape varieties are permitted; The varieties Blanc Dame , Graisse , Jurançon Blanc , Mauzac , Mauzac Rose and Meslier-Saint-François play a subordinate role . The three growing areas are called Bas-Armagnac, Haut-Armagnac and Ténarèze, whereby the terms “bas” (French for low) and “haut” (French for high) do not denote the quality of the product, but the location of the area. On the contrary, the Bas-Armagnac region provides a better brandy than Haut-Armagnac, which is why it no longer plays a role in production. The top locations of Bas-Armagnac are called Grand Bas.
The vines must have reached an age of five years before their grapes can be used for the first time. The base wine is prepared according to traditional rules. Neither sulfur dioxide nor sugar may be added, and decanting is also prohibited during the fermentation process .
Distillation and storage
Community Arthez-d'Armagnac , Landes department .
The wine is in copper, closed stills by a single firing distilled . This differs from cognac, which is distilled twice in successive stages ( raw and fine brandy ) using the “ Charentaise distillation ” method .
In the “Méthode Armagnac” , on the other hand, raw and fine brandy are combined in a single distillation process. A rectification column , an apparatus for separating the vaporizable components, is used for this purpose . The rectification column is located between the still and the condenser , which liquefies the evaporated components again by cooling.
Further storage takes place in barrels with a volume of 225 to 420 liters, which are made from the typical Gascon "black oak". For the manufacture of the wooden barrels from the Gascogne holm oak, the wood is stored for six years before it is processed. In contrast to the often very old cognac barrels, which are used again and again, new barrels are used for the Armagnac for each harvest. This wood gives the brandy its unmistakable bouquet and its typical amber color.
The fresh distillate remains in new barrels until the components have been removed from the wood in an optimal way. It is then transferred to older barrels in order to avoid a too strong wooden taste and to allow a further slow development: the aromas released from the wood gain finesse, hints of vanilla and typically prunes develop. As soon as the Armagnac has reached the right age - at least one year, usually six to eight years - it is filled into the traditional bulbous bottle with the long neck - similar to a Franconian goat bag.
Prestige problems
The high quality, the flawless craftsmanship, the strict regulations, the export to at least 132 countries and the significantly lower production volume compared to cognac would actually predestine the Armagnac to be a coveted luxury product, but in fact it has suffered from clear prestige problems since the post-war years. At that time it was particularly sought after and saw extremely high demand, which eventually led to a deterioration in quality, to a ruin of the image and in the consciousness of consumers to see Armagnac as “small” or “inferior cognac” - a view that partly did still prevails today.
Classification
The Armagnac has been divided into four categories since 2010: (1) VS / *** (Very Special / trois étoiles, three stars), (2) VSOP ( Very Superior Old Pale ), (3) XO / Hors d ' Âge (Extra Old / extra old) and (4) Millésime . Armagnacs of category (1) are the youngest and have matured for at least one year in oak barrels, class (2) promises at least four years, class (3) at least 10 years. In the case of blends, the category is determined based on the most recent ingredient in the finished Armagnac. The name Millésime , on the other hand, indicates that the Armagnac was distilled from wines from a single vintage.
Armagnac is mainly offered as a blend of varieties and vintages. There are only a few houses where single-origin spirits are bottled. If the label “Bas-Armagnac” is on a bottle, then it only contains first-class plants without any regional clippings. A bottle labeled “Appellation Armagnac”, on the other hand, indicates that the contents can consist of brandies from Ténarèze and Haut-Armagnac or all three appellations.
The vintage Armagnac is relatively rare.
The producers
The best-known Armagnac manufacturers include Marcel Trepout , Château de Lacquy , Domaine Boingnères , Armadis , Castarede , Francis Darroze , Janneau Fils , Baron de Sigognac and Marnier-Lapostolle . Armadis is the youngest (founded in 1946) but the largest manufacturer. Château de Lacquy is the oldest producer and has been owned by a family since 1711. Darroze was founded in 1793 and only produces vintage Armagnacs. At Marnier-Lapostolle, a house that produces both Cognac and Armagnac, the Grand Marnier was invented in 1880 .
use
The addition of Armagnac is also used to make the traditional Floc de Gascogne .
literature
- Charles Neal: Armagnac. The Definitive Guide to France's Premier Brandy. Wine Appreciation Guild, San Francisco CA 2004, ISBN 1-891267-20-5 (English).
Movie
- Live like God in France. The Armagnac of Gascony. Documentary, Germany, 2010, 43:15 min., Script and direction: Hilde Bechert, production: Saarländischer Rundfunk , series: Reisewege , first broadcast: October 6, 2010 on SWR , synopsis by ARD .
Web links
- Bureau National Interprofessionnel de l'Armagnac
- World Spirits: Armagnac
- The little online wine dictionary
Individual evidence
- ↑ Armagnac: Difference to cognac & everything important to spirit. In: Gentleman'sAttitude. January 25, 2020, accessed on January 27, 2020 (German).
- ↑ Armagnac: Difference to cognac & everything important to spirit. In: Gentleman'sAttitude. January 25, 2020, accessed on January 27, 2020 (German).