How we produce Armagnac | The production of the Armagnac at Arton

How we make Armagnac
Living to the rhythm of the still is a real skill. L 'Armagnac is a white wine brandy, both fruity and floral. It is the aging in oak barrels that gives Armagnac its beautiful amber color and its special flavor.
There are Armagnac s of different ages. The younger Armagnac s (3 stars, VS, VSOP) will be perfect for cocktails with friends or to enhance flavors in the kitchen. The older Armagnac s (XO, Hors d´Âge or vintage) find their place as an aperitif, dessert or digestive. Old people Armagnac go well with fruity flavors or chocolate.
The Armagnac s of Château Arton draw their aromatic power from the care with which they are made. The white Ugni, planted on the Pasteur plot, overlooks Lake Arton. The Colombard grows below the charterhouse.
1. How to produce Armagnac-vintage
In mid August, the grapes are tasted to monitor their ripening. The sugar level must be kept low and the acidity must be high to make a good distilled wine. The harvest begins at the end of August-beginning of September depending on the year. The harvest is done at night, when it is cooler, to preserve the aromas of the grapes.
The fruits are pressed immediately to preserve their flavors and prevent oxidation. Additions of sulphites are prohibited in the preparation of Armagnac. The vinification is natural, produced by fermentation according to a traditional method.
2. How to produce Armagnac-distillation
In October, as soon as the wine is ready, the distillation is started.
The distillation period is fixed by decree. It takes place once the harvest is over, and ends on March 31 of the year following the harvest.
At the Arton estate, distillation takes place in autumn, as close as possible to the harvest.
The distillation is done on the property with a traditional copper column still, called "Armagnac ais", a traveling still, with continuous distillation, which is installed on the estate.
3. How to produce Armagnac-harvest and distillation
The fresh wine (15 °) rises in the first column of the still, then descends again in the second where it flows through trays. Basically, it bubbles over the boiler, releasing vapors which rise and meet the fresh wine which descends in the tray column. These are enriched by the aromas of this wine.
When the vapors reach saturation, they flow through a pipe that winds through the heart of the first column, that of the fresh wine, cool and condense, giving rise to the Armagnac white (54 °).
This brandy can be bottled, after resting for three months in stainless steel tanks-this is our Fine Blanche ® (45 °)-or housed in oak barrels of Gascogne of 420 liters where it will be tinged with its nuances of amber, copper and gold, enriching its aromas to become Armagnac.
4. How to produce Armagnac-warehouse in a cellar
The crystalline brandy is first housed in a new barrel. This is the time for dialogue with the oak. It takes on the color of wood, feeds on its aromas, extracting the tannins from the room. The essences from wood and wine evolve with the oxidation of ’Armagnac on contact with air through the oak.
The brandy is then transferred to an older barrel, to slow down the extraction of the wood, prevent it from taking over the fruit, and slowly continue maturing to reach its perfect balance. She is resting. The range of aromas (pear, pepper, vanilla, prune) develop. The woody taste is refined and the rancio appears.
At the Arton estate, the barrels are stored in a dry cellar and then in a wet cellar, with the passage from one cellar to another being tasted. Temperature variations between winter and summer and natural humidity affect the breeding of brandy.
Our dry cellar allows the extraction of the components present in the wood. The water evaporates, intensifying the alcohol concentration, sublimating the Armagnac. Our wet cellar, dating from the 18th century, however, allows alcohol to escape. The degree of alcohol naturally decreases to reach 45 °.
It is during aging that brandy takes on the characteristic amber color of Armagnac.
5. How we produce Armagnac-bottling
After 10 to 12 years, the Armagnac has reached maturity. Now is the time to blend or vintage, and to bottle. Once under glass, the (9-1

[@sophiedeganay3851]

Closest thing to alchemy I know of: creating a delicious golden liquid

[@pierrehinarderen]

Interesting !

[@emiledeganay3886]

😍😍😍

[@lucieavozoa5169]

Ça veut dire que l armagnac est un whisky ?

[@arton2757]

Non ! L'armagnac est produit à partir de raisin blanc (vin) et le Whisky à partir de céréales (blé, orge..).
L'armagnac est une AOC française et ne peut être produit qu'en France dans les terroirs de l'armagnac, tandis que le whisky peut être produit n'importe où dans le monde (whisky japonais, whisky français, whisky écossais..).
Surtout, l'armagnac et le Whisky sont distillés avec 2 alambics très différents: alambic Armagnacais pour l'armagnac VS alambic charentais pour le Whisky.
Sur ce lien, vous trouverez un tableau récapitulatif avec toutes les différences entre Armagnac, whisky et cognac: arton.fr/armagnacs/armagnac-cognac-whisky-quelles-sont-les-differences/