Armagnac

Armagnac, France’s oldest brandy, is produced in the Gascony region, and has its own ‘appellation d’origine contrôlée’ (AOC, or PDO), which is divided into three sub-regions for brandies that are at least one year-old: Bas-Armagnac, Ténarèze and Haut-Armagnac. There is a fourth AOC for brandies that are not aged: Blanche d’Armagnac. Distilled from a wine base, Armagnac differs from Cognac on account of its special terroir, and the type of still used (column stills in Armagnac and pot stills in Cognac). Four main grape varieties are used: Folle Blanche, Colombard, Ugnic Blanc and Baco. The finished spirit must contain at least 40% ABV.