8 October 2025
Jean-Noell Dollet is the Marketing and Commercial Director for France & International of Le Cub des Marques. Armagnac is the oldest known type of brandy. It is single distilled, which makes it brown in colour, robust and full-bodied. It is predominantly made from four types of grape, though a total of ten types of grape can be used to make it. Aged for many years in oak barrels, its tasting notes include grape, leather, earth, oak, praline and Christmas cake!
Armagnac is produced in the Gascony region of France, which is located to the south of Bordeaux. The region is split into three areas; Bas Armagnac, Tenareze and Haut Armagnac.
Often made in small batches by local farmers, Armagnac is not well-known outside of Europe. This specific variety of brandy is traditionally an additional product made by local farmers, to top up their annual income from agriculture. For this reason, it receives more care and attention in the production process than its commonly mass-produced cousin, Cognac.
All brandy is made by distilling wine, but Armagnac is distilled only once, meaning that it keeps some of the flavour, fragrance, and body of the original wine. Once distillation has taken place, the liquid is aged in oak barrels, which have the capacity to hold about 400 litres.
Cognac is made to the North of Bordeaux, in the Charente and Charente-Maritime areas. It’s double distilled so it requires less ageing than Armagnac and is produced in far greater quantities.
