Armagnac
Cognac isn’t the only great grape brandy made in France. There’s also Armagnac. But what’s the difference between the two?
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What is the difference between Cognac and Armagnac?
France's two great grape brandies differ in a number of crucial ways from their long histories to grape varieties and production methods.
History:
Cognac is made within easy reach of the ports at La Rochelle and Bordeaux and has always been export-led. Indeed many of the businesses were founded by foreigners: Hennessey from Ireland, Martell from Jersey and Hine from England. In contrast Armagnac is inland and most of the production is consumed within France. You could call Armagnac Cognac’s country cousin though that’s not to say one is better than the other.
Climate and soil:
The Cognac region has a maritime climate which means that it is cooler in the summer but not too cold in the winter. Armagnac is further south and has a continental climate which means hotter summers but colder winters. Cognac is divided into six sub-regions, see above. Armagnac is divided into three. The two biggest are Bas Armagnac, containing around 3,500 hectares of vineyards, and Armagnac-Tenareze with about 1600 hectares. The latter has fine silty soils which produce a more elegant spirit than the heavier clay of Tenareze. Finally there’s the tiny Haut-Armagnac which makes up only 2% of production and has chalky clay soils. The region is governed by the Bureau National Interprofessionnel de l'Armagnac (BNIA)
Grapes:
Something like 98% of Cognac is made from one grape variety, ugni blanc, whereas Armagnac has more varied viticulture with four grapes dominating: folle blanche, ugni blanc, colombard and baco.
Distillation:
Cognac is distilled twice in pot stills as with malt whisky. Most Armagnac is distilled in a column still but these aren’t the enormous columns of grain whisky distilleries which turn out high strength alcohol, Armagnac stills are much smaller with fewer plates and produce a pungent spirit of between 50 and 60%. A small quantity is distilled by the Cognac method.
Ageing:
Both are aged in French oak though traditionally Armagnac was aged in local oak and Cognac from oak grown further north. Most Cognac is blended and sold according to designations such as VSOP or XO. Armagnac is also sold by these designations but a large amount is sold unblended ie. from a single vintage.
Production:
Most Cognac is made by the big four: Hennessy, Remy Martin, Martell and Courvoisier which are multinational companies. They buy in and age spirit as well as distilling it themselves. The region produces about 180 million bottles a year and exports 98% of production. In contrast, Armagnac produces only six million bottles a year, about half of which are exported. A lot of the production is in the hands of independent farmers who also grow tobacco, raise livestock and make wine though there are merchant houses like Janneau which buy and blend spirits.
Taste:
Armagnac tends to be pungent and often a little wild (though that’s not to say rough) and Cognac tends to be smoother and more elegant. Having said that, you do get Cognacs from small producers that are every bit as idiosyncratic as Armagnac, and Armagnacs that are as polished as the fanciest XO from Cognac.
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