History of Armagnac
The Muret Armagnac is produced in the region belonging to the guaranteed vintage « Bas Armagnac » actually located amidst the Landes & Gers departments. This Armagnac is produced in Gaube with Colombard & Baco grapes, a highly resistant variety in the long run https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baco_blanc). The connaisseurs search for & select the best brandies in that area. The location of the famed Landes croissant (Labastide d’Armagnac, Arthez d’Armagnac, Perquie, Le Bourdalat, Hontanx, Lacquy) is known as the homeland of the grand Bas Armagnac.
Armagnac is considered as the oldest brandy & was named after a brother in arms of Clovis : Hermann – later latinised to Arminiac – to whom a fief was granted in recognition of his bravoury on the battle fields. In 637 this fief became the Comté d’Armagnac and, during the 10th century, monks started distillating this brandy.
At first praised for its medical benefits, to cure the prevailing diseases of the time, Armagnac was mainly used to fight cough & fevers. During the XIIIth century, the region flourished thanks to its brandy production & Armagnac gained it patents of nobility during the XVIIth century. The Dutch first made it popular and it eventually found its place at Louis XVth’s royal table. Ever since, Armagnac became a product favoured by nobility.
During the XIXth century, the white grapes in France’s South West were plagued by phylloxera insects resembling vine fretters that attacked & destroyed a major part of the vineyards, except for those located in the Bas-Armagnac area, mainly thanks to the local sand’s special properties.
During the XXth century, the name Bas Armagnac was protected & the production limited to three areas : Gers, Lot-et-Garonne and Landes. Bas-Armagnac is produced in the Western part of these departments, Armagnac-Ténarèze in the centre and Haut-Armagnac in the east.
The Muret Armagnac is produced in the areas of Bas-Armagnac, in the town of Perquie, located at the heart of Landes and of Gers.
Distillation
After the harvest & the vinification, the estate’s white wines are distilled in a single process in an Armagnac alembic during the three months following the harvest, thus producing a brandy totalling approximately 54° that is then fillied into new oak barrels also called « parts » containing four hectolitres. Said alcohol softens while ageing, the barrels oak slowly adding a deep taste to the brandy’s subtle flavour while giving it an increasingly fiery colour blended with golden highlights.
The bottling (0.7 l, 1.5 l magnum bottles or 2.5 l pots) is done in the cellars as Armagnac is ordered. The bottles’ vintage refers to the year of the harvest.
The Angels’ share :
While ageing in the barrels, the level of Armagnac decreases even though none is being collected. The legend has it that the missing amount has been drunk by angels but actually the loss results from the evaporation of part of the brandy stored.
When the Armagnac has been bottled, it keeps all its qualities but no longer ages. Our brandy therefore age in barrels, sometimes for over forty years until the maturing process is at its best. When the quality of the brandies is at risk of falling, they’re filled into flasks where they will age under better conditions while no longer altering. Armagnac dating back to the 1970s is now scarce, however we still have several vintages from the 1970s onwards, be it in barrels or in flasks. Apart from older vintages, we sell vintages that are at least ten years old and meet all palates given the various degrees of maturity as well as their profound and outspoken personalities. Before having been assembled, the degree of alcohol is still high considering their age as they never ever knew small waters.
46 rue de Varenne 75007 Paris, France
1130 route de Gaube 40190 Perquie, France
Tél +33 (0) 5 58 03 31 21
SMS +33 (0) 6 86 10 75 51
armagnac.corderoy@orange.fr
46 rue de Varenne 75007 Paris, France
1130 route de Gaube 40190 Perquie, France
Tél +33 (0) 5 58 03 31 21
SMS +33 (0) 6 86 10 75 51
armagnac.corderoy@orange.fr
