Janneau Brandy Armagnac VSOP, 70 cl

Product Information

The French gourmet dish ortolan has traditionally been prepared by force-feeding an ortolan bunting before drowning it in Armagnac and roasting it. They’re one of the only producers to use both an Armagnacais column still and a Charentais pot still in their distillation process, resulting in an incredibly smooth and sophisticated brandy. We do love checking out single vintage Armagnacs, as they offer a glimpse into the history of the spirit which often isn't seen. Unlike the Coffey and Stein stills that were being developed in Ireland and Scotland a little later, the alambic Armagnacais produces a low strength alcohol of between 50-70% ABV which is packed full of congeners. The result is a more fragrant and flavorful spirit than cognac, where double distillation takes place.

Traditionally, Armagnac was aged in local oak though nowadays barrels might come from further north in France.Wine is made from grapes from the Armagnac region of France and is then distilled through a column still. We're full of useful facts, just like this one: the 1996 vintage Armagnac from Château de Lacquy was made using 80% Baco and 20% Ugni Blanc grapes. The best Armagnac brandy can be enjoyed neat, over ice, or in any cocktail that requires quality brandy. Castarède then goes a step further and ages the fine spirit for another ten years in new oak casks, delivering one of the finest Armagnac’s available.

Around 50-60% of production is from this sub-region and the sandy, iron-rich soils are said to produce some of the finest grapes in Armagnac.

Finally, there's Armagnac Ténarèze making up the rest of production, around 40%, with its rich clay and chalk soils leading to a more robust spirit.

Key to the quality of Janneau’s Armagnacs are its distillery and cellars in Condom, an ancient city located in the heart of the Armagnac region. Delord 25-Year-Old Bas-Armagnac is best served neat at room temperature, and it is also great in an Armagnac-based Old Fashioned or very classy Sangria. The sweet and slightly jammy raisin and fig flavours continue on the palate with vanilla, spices, and oak.In striving to produce the best quality of Armagnac possible, Janneau will always exceed the region’s legal minimums: a classic blend like the XO has to be aged for a minimum of 10 years, for Janneau this minimum is 13 years with some maspects of the blend being as old as 30 years. Our bins hold 18-24 bottles of wine or Champagne or 2-3 cases of lager when filled with ice and water.

The Armagnac is first aged in new oak barrels for the first half of the maturation process and then aged in older, more mature casks in this double maturation process. Marquis de Montesquiou Reserve Armagnac is made from a selection of the finest wine spirits from the Bas Armagnac grapes and aged for five years. Subsequently, Dutch merchants began promoting the trade more widely and providing or financing alembics.Janneau VSOP is made by blending Bacca, Ugni Blanc, and Folle Blanche Armagnacs distilled by houses in the surrounding areas. It was distilled from four different grape varieties, Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Baco and Folle-Blanche before it was matured in oak barrels for 25 years. The brandy is produced from a blend of 35% Baco, 35% Colombard, 15% Folle Blanche and 15% Ugni Blanc, making for a fresh spirit full of orchard fruit deliciousness. Armagnac is a unique French brandy that is only produced in the Armagnac region in southwest France. Ageing in the barrel removes a part of the alcohol and water by evaporation (known as part des anges—"angels' tribute" or " angels' share") and allows more complex aromatic compounds to appear by oxidation, which further modifies the flavour.