A Thirsty Spirit

Instead of heading north of Bordeaux, we’ll head south-east to a drier, warmer climate where there’s a long, rich history of local consumption of spirits made by individual producers rather than major brands.  We’ve covered Cognac so now we’re going to Armagnac (are-muhn-YACK), France’s second great controlled appellation for grape spirits.

The center of the trade is the city of Condom (tell that to your friends with a straight face).  While Cognac is broken down into 6 regions, Armagnac has 3 that were defined in 1936: Bas-Armagnac, the most westerly and home to the best spirits, Ténarèze in the center where the fullest-bodied styles come from and Haut-Armagnac to the east, where the wines are often sold off rather than distilled – you’ll see them labeled as Vin de Pays des Côtes de Gascgone. When purchasing an Armagnac, the name of the subregion will appear on the label.

Only white grapes can be used for Armagnac production and you’ll recognize some of the names from Cognac production like Ugni Blanc and Folle Blanche.  There are a few others, too – Colombard, Meslier, Jurançon and a hybrid called Baco 22A (sometimes called Baco Blanc).  It’s a hybrid because it’s a cross between the French vitis vinifera Folle Blanche and the American vitis labrusca Noah.  Noah itself is a cross between vitis labrusca and vitis riparia.  Hybrid=cross across species.

Since 1972 the use of pot stills has been allowed, just like in Cognac, but many producers still use the more primitive and traditional Armagnac still, a continuous still with two copper columns.  Another difference between the two regions lies in the oak aging.  Most Armagnac producers use the local, sappy Monlezun oak.  The combination of still and aging tends to make Armagnac a more rustic version of Cognac.  Cognacs may have more floral and grape-y notes while Armagnacs will have more dried fruit and prune characters.  Cognacs retain their bite, while Armagnacs are fuller-bodied and rounder.

Some of the labeling terms will be familiar to you, but the minimum aging requirements are a touch different.  *** (often written as VS) is one year old, VSOP is 4 years old and XO is five years old.  Hors d’Age means the youngest component in the blend is 10 years old.  Many producers will age individual casks from a single distillation and sell these with a vintage date.

For a fun and refreshing drink, look for Floc de Gascogne, a fortified sweet wine made with 1/3 Armagnac and 2/3 grape juice from the region.  The alcohol clocks in at 16-18%  and there are notes of honey, almond and jasmine.  I kept my bottle in the fridge and used it as an aperitif.

All Cognacs are brandies, but not all brandies are Cognacs.  The best ones are made from low alcohol, high acid grapes.  Sounds a bit like Champagne, don’t you think?  No wonder I like it!

The Cognac region is just north of Bordeaux in the Charente and Charente-Maritime départments or districts of France.  The ancient city of Cognac, which sits on the Charente River is at the heart of the district.  The region was delimited by law in 1909 (i.e. to call your product a Cognac, it has to be made within the designated geographical area).  There are 6 districts or crus of Cognac: Grande Champagne (best), Petite Champagne (second best), Borderies (yup, 3rd best), Fins Bois, Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires/Bois Communs.  You might also see Fine (feen) Champagne on a label and that means it’s a blend from the 2 best areas – Grande and Petite Champagnes.  The term Champagne here has nothing to do with the Champagne region, though both areas have very chalky soils. 

Since this region is on a navigable river close to the ocean, its wines have long been popular in England and the Low Countries.  The wines didn’t travel well since they were fairly light, so distilling them became the way to go.  Distillation became pretty common in the 17th century, but really took off in the 18th century when a number of families came to the region to control the trade: the Martells from Jersey, the Hennessys and the Hardys from Ireland, the Hines from Dorset and the Otards from Scotland.

Cognac is the 3rd largest vineyard area in France and up to 8 different grape varieties are permitted.  The two most important are Ugni Blanc – pronounced ooh-knee and also known as Saint-Émilion or Trebbiano (in Italy) and Folle Blanche.  The distillation season begins the November after harvest and runs through the end of March.  The Cognac is double-distilled in a copper pot still and aged in casks of Tronçais or Limousin oak for a minimum of 2 years.  During this process, the spirit mellows and softens, taking on color and flavor from the wood.  Some will evaporate, too and this is called the “angels’ share”. 

Let’s touch on a few other things you might see on the label:

You’ve probably noticed that the letters represent English rather than French words, pointing to the traditional importance of the English market.  Usually these letters are used together and since 1955, they’ve had age significance.  For example, VS is at least 2 years old, VSOP is at least 4 years old, XO is at least 6 years old.  The years represent the minimum amount of time the spirit spent in barrel. 

Cognac can improve in wood for up to 55 years, but this is risky – there will be significant loss from evaporation and there’s a risk of over-aging, making the prices exorbitant.  Keep in mind that once the Cognac is bottled, it neither varies nor improves.  The producer has already done the work for you, so once you buy a bottle, just drink it (ideally not in one sitting) and once the bottle’s been opened, consume it within 6 months.