Discover Armagnac

Armagnac: three syllables that slam like a barn door against the autan wind on a November evening when the still delivers the first eaux-de-vie of the year. Armagnac in the heart of Gascony, in the country of D'Artagnan, its other hero whose epic is told to the borders of the Urals or the shores of Tennessee. Armagnac is this story that began in the 14th century in Gascony. At the time, the aygue ardente, which was not yet called armagnac, made it possible to relieve ailments. 40 evils precisely, according to Master Vital Dufour, an abbot of Eauze who learned medicine at the University of Montpellier and who, in 1310, was the first to describe the 40 virtues of this eau-de-vie. His writing, carefully preserved in the Vatican library in Rome, thus proves that Armagnac is, to say the least, the oldest eau-de-vie in France.

This story, the Armagnac region is ready to tell it to you. From Villeneuve de Marsan (Landes) to Lectoure (Gers), via Mézin (Lot-et-Garonne) or even Nogaro, Condom and Eauze (Gers), the Armagnac terroir is steeped in the seven centuries that have forged its habitat, its environment, its colors, its culture. From the tawny sands of the Landes to the clay-limestone soils of the Gers, Bas-Armagnac, Ténarèze and Haut-Armagnac, the three terroirs of the appellation offer a stroll as rich as it is instructive in the heart of this Gascony in whose veins flows this wonderful spirit whose manufacturing secret is transmitted from father to son, and increasingly, from father to daughter. Enter Gascony and taste it!

Arriving in Gascony, you will push the door of the Maisons d'Armagnac. You will meet women and men of passion who pursue a family adventure that is often centuries old. So, you will listen, charmed, to the words of the cellar master, a true artist of the place. He will introduce you to the production of white wine from the grape varieties ugni blanc, folie blanche, colombard, baco (for the main ones) but also plant de gras, Meslier Saint-François. He will explain the still and the art of distillation to you, introduce you to the aging and blending of Armagnac and, without a doubt, speak to you from the angels. All with a glass of Armagnac in hand.

You can be the oldest eau-de-vie in France, you can have one of the most beautiful stories of spirits and still be in tune with the times. This is the case of Armagnac, which for several years has been able to listen to consumers to better support them. Today, in a bar in New York, London or Madrid, Armagnac is in good place. It has made its way into the world of mixology and is now one of the favorite spirits of bartenders and bartenders. Its history is not only rich, it is on the way. Like, too, the very young Armagnacs which are settling on the first steps of the most appreciated spirits in the world.