Armagnac

Armagnac is France's oldest brandy, made in Gascony in the rolling countryside of south-west France. The appellation is split into three areas. Bas-Armagnac, in the west, produces the most prized spirits, full of fruit and finesse. Armagnac-Ténarèze gives fuller-bodied, more powerful spirits, while Haut-Armagnac produces only a tiny amount. Unlike Cognac, many Armagnacs are bottled from a single estate and a single vintage, so you can taste one place in one year.

Most Armagnac is made from four grapes: Ugni Blanc, Baco Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard. The light, crisp wine is distilled just once in the traditional alambic armagnacais, a copper column still, and the work must be finished by 31 March after the harvest. Because it leaves the still at a lower strength than Cognac, more of the fruit and character of the wine is carried through. The spirit then ages in oak: at least one year for VS, four for VSOP and ten for XO. Our Armagnacs come from Darroze, who bottle single estates from Bas-Armagnac without colouring or additives. Rather than adding water, they let each spirit come down to strength slowly in the cellar.

Every winter, Gascony celebrates the Flamme de l'Armagnac, as the copper stills are lit and farmhouses fill with the scent of warm wine and woodsmoke. Decades later, in a quiet chai, the old casks hold spirits that have grown dark and rich with prune, fig, toffee and spice. Warm a glass in your hand, breathe it in slowly, and let it take you to the heart of Gascony.