Spirit of Gascony

Armagnac: the name sounds decidedly exotic, redolent of the ancient territories of Gascony, in southern Aquitaine. A second, and more contemporary image, however, is that of its internationally-renowned brandy. The gascon creation, however, has little else in common with Cognac, its charentais counterpart: each has its lifelong aficionados, who generally take the view that to make comparisons is to miss the point. We wouldn't disagree. So what makes Armagnac so special and why do certain brands and vintages arouse passions verging on veneration?

The Armagnac AOC appellation is subdivided into two distinct regions, the first, and largest by geographical area (although its chalky soils mean it contributes only 5% to total production) being Haut-Armagnac, which actually extends beyond the boundaries of eastern Gers into neighbouring Lot-et-Garonne. The second is Ténarèze, the area around the town of Condom in the north-west. With 5,127 hectares of sandy soils mixed with chalk and clay, its productive vineyards are of major importance. The final 7,548 hectare growth area (and an appellation in its own right) is Bas-Armagnac, a region extensively forested of western Gers and the Landes boasting fertile soils of clay mixed with alluvial deposits.

Viticulture, it seems, is no newcomer. The Romans brought the first grapevines to Gascony, where they learned from the locals how to make oak barrels, a much more practical and durable means of storage than the Roman pottery vessels. By the twelfth century the Moors were producing an early form of brandy by distilling, which the gascon farmers subsequently developed into the present 'continuous distillation' process. Generations of itinerant distillers travelled from farm to farm with their wagon-mounted stills, producing Armagnac during the winter months following the grape-harvest, or vendange . With no convenient river- or sea-ports the transporting of Armagnac was long considered impractical, the product remaining very much a regional speciality. Gradually, however, communications improved, trading links developed and the outside world began to discover the great gascon secret. Evidence of its great success can still be seen today in the purpose-built warehouses and quays from which the barrels were loaded for transport on the Baise. The river's more wayward meanderings were later bypassed by lateral canal sections, thereby speeding the journey via the Garonne to Bordeaux - the great port of the French wine and spirit trade.

These days most growers take their grapes - traditional varieties like Folle Blanche and Colombard, alongside relative newcomer Ugni Blanc - to specialist distillers, who continue to employ stills (known as the alambics Armagnacais ) perfected by one Monsieur Verdier in 1890. The principle is a model of simplicity: young, slightly-sparkling acidic white wine flows into a rolled-copper still, vaporises over multiple heated baffles and is then condensed by more incoming cold wine. The resulting spirit, having been distilled only once, emerges at a relatively low strength, retaining a high concentration of its flavour-producing elements, or 'congenerics'.

Next comes the all-important ageing process, or 'vieillissement'. If it were to be bottled now, you could wait forever and the spirit would remain virtually unchanged. Place it in new oak, however, and something magical happens, as the wood tannins and vanillins begin to impart both colour and bouquet to their contents. After being indexed and dated, the batches of spirit sit in 400-litre casks at a constant temperature, their progress constantly monitored. The vital role played by the casks (called pièces ) means that their manufacture is subject to stringent controls. The timber used is fine-grained black oak (traditionally sourced from the forest of Monlezun d'Armagnac) felled in winter when the sap is low and split into staves, which are dried in the open air for one year for each centimetre of thickness. After seasoning, the timbers acquire their characteristic curves by skilled bending over an oak flame.

The effect of new casks on their contents is dramatic. Once the optimum degree of dissolution from the wood is achieved by the distiller or 'maître de chais' , the spirit is transferred to older casks to begin the much slower process of more subtle refinement. During these extended periods of storage inevitable evaporation (known as 'the Angels' Share') creates a tell-tale darkening of the roof timbers and around the doorways of the stores. Eventually, after careful reduction with distilled water and blending with various cellar-produced secret concoctions - 'les petites eaux' - a final bottling strength of around 40-46% is achieved.

With subsequent maturing in the bottle ruled out, Armagnac's drinking qualities already display their full potential at the time of purchase. Of great significance, then, is the ageing information printed on the label (which always refers to the youngest brandy present in any blend). Trois Etoiles means a minimum of one year-old; V.O., V.S.O.P. or Réserve are at least four years old, while Extra, Napoléon, Hors d'âge, X.O. and Vieille Réserve are all a minimum of five years old. You will, of course, come across far older vintage Armagnacs, their dates representing the harvest year of the grapes from which the brandy was produced (distillation must be completed by April 30th following the grape harvest).

So, after all this esoteric alchemy, what does it actually taste like? Well, as you might expect, it all depends. Despite the rigidly-controlled appellation, the mere fact that there are some 5,000 licensed producers (both large and small) of Armagnac means that great variations are inevitable. This, for connoisseurs, is unquestionably an attraction in itself. The flavour of a truly great Armagnac is a sublime experience and the quest for the 'ultimate' can become a lifelong journey, with countless memorable stops along the way. Like wine-producers, the creators of Armagnac take great pride in their products, are generally keen to welcome visitors for dégustations and will discuss with passion their great love affair with this particular gift of the vine.

Leisurely exploration of the unspoilt region from which it originates can also be an agreeable exercise, amid gentle contours of forest and, of course, vines. It's a constantly-changing image, the advancing season marked by the vines' gradual transformation from vibrant green to sombre russet. Here and there you will come upon the 'Vente Direct' signs, denoting a producer willing to sell to the public. Gracious châteaux do exist, but are far outnumbered by the modest agricultural buildings of artisan producers. Communities, too, from mediaeval bastides like Forces and Larressingle, to the larger towns like Eauze, Condom and Auch, are full of interest. Like the illustrious spirit whose name it shares, the Armagnac region is like no other.

© Words and pictures Roger Moss
This feature first appeared in everything France magazine Issue 3

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