How is armagnac distilled?

An alambic armagnacais is a continuous column still with several stages, in which the wine is distilled into eau-de-vie in a single pass.

The cahier des charges calls it the main type: every distillery must use at least one still of this type per season. The wine runs from top to bottom through the stages and meets the vapour rising from below. As a result a single pass is enough and no second distillation is needed.

For the column still the eau-de-vie must come off the still at 52 to 72.4 percent alcohol by volume.

For the discontinuous still with repassage the lower limit is higher: 65 to 72.4 percent. That upper limit of 72.4 percent is the hallmark of armagnac. Whoever distils lower keeps more substances from the wine in the eau-de-vie; whoever distils higher keeps fewer. After that, water must be added to at least 40 percent for the bottle.

Armagnac usually goes through a column still in a single pass; cognac goes twice through a discontinuous alambic charentais.

The cahier des charges of the AOC Cognac prescribes that double distillation in a copper alambic charentais. For armagnac, the column still must be present in the workshop, and a discontinuous still with repassage may stand beside it. That difference in technique is the main distinction between the two French grape brandies.

Distillation must be finished by 31 March of the year after the harvest at the latest.

The wine for armagnac is pressed and fermented in autumn without added sulphur. In winter it goes to the still. From 1 April the maturation starts to count, so the last distilling day and the first counting day lie right after each other. A still may not be larger per run than 40 hectolitres for the column and 30 hectolitres for the discontinuous still.

After distillation the eau-de-vie goes onto oak: at least one year, counted from 1 April after the harvest.

The cahier des charges allows sessile oak, pedunculate oak or a cross of those two for this. During maturation, alcohol and water evaporate through the wood, and the eau-de-vie takes colour and substances from the cask. With Blanche Armagnac that precisely does not happen: it rests at least three months in an inert vessel and stays clear.

Armagnac is a wine eau-de-vie: added alcohol does not belong in it.

Regulation (EU) 2019/787 prohibits adding alcohol and flavouring to wine eau-de-vie. Water to bring the eau-de-vie down to bottling strength is allowed; when sold, the bottle must contain at least 40 percent alcohol. If you want a bottle that has been adjusted as little as possible, look for a millésime or a cask strength bottling: there, the vintage year or the percentage is stated in black and white on the label.