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Armagnacs
The origins of Armagnac brandy go back to the Middle Ages. In the fifteenth century, brandy was only a pharmacopoeian product, the "aqua ardente" which revived the dying and was used as an antidote during epidemics.
It was after the Reformation in France in the sixteenth century that brandy rose to fame and achieved the status of a beverage.
Distillation reached its peak in the nineteenth century with a production estimated at 100,000 hectolitres.
Around 1878, the phylloxera destroyed virtually all of the vineyards. However, the vines were gradually replanted in Armagnac and in 1909 a decree was issued defining the zone of production of this Appellation d'Origine brandy.
Situated in the heart of Gascony, country of d'Artagnan and the musketeers, the Armagnac vineyards cover 12,832 hectares and include a large part of the departement of Gers, as well as a few "cantons" (parishes) in Lot-et-Garonne and Landes. The vines are grown on gently rolling hills with a fine exposure.
The production region is divided into three areas according to soil type :
To the West, Bas-Armagnac has acid, predominantly sandy soil and covers 7,548 hectares.
To the East, Haut-Armagnac is essentially chalky and represents 157 hectares.
Between the two, Ténarèze covers 5,127 hectares. The soil is clay and chalk mixed with sand.
