Cognac or Armagnac?

Would you ask for a Cognac or an Armagnac after dinner? You’re probably going to say malt whisky at that point but that will have to be for another time. The two best know appellations for grape spirit in France are Cognac to the north of Bordeaux and Armagnac to the south. So what makes them so different?

First of all I’ll cover what they have in common. They are both made by distilling white wine from a specific geographical area. The grapes used are mainly Ugni Blanc (known in Italy as Trebbiano) with Folle Blanche and Colombard filling the gaps. In Armagnac a hybrid grape variety with the romantic sounding name Baco 22A is also allowed. Both areas are known for the calcareous soils the vines are grown in, resulting in high acidity base wines.
After distilling the spirit, known as eaux-de-vie, is aged in oak casks and often blended to ensure a consistent quality.

Distillation:
The difference between the two lies in the specific distillation process. Cognac is traditionally distilled in a ‘Charentais’ still. This is a discontinuous still and the wine, in some cases pre-heated, will be distilled in its entirety at the first pass to create the ‘brouillis’. This spirit with an alcoholic strength between 26 and 29% abv is then redistilled at which point the heart (coeur) is collected as new spirit. The heads (tetes) and tails (secondes) are mixed in with the wine or the next brouillis to be redistilled again. The decision by the distiller to add into the wine or the brouillis is pretty important as it will have a determined effect on the finished product. The eaux-de-vie or new wine will be around 58 to 60% abv in strength. Although the source wine may have some bearing on the final product it is actually the shape of the still that is most important in the flavour characteristics of the new wine as well as the decisions made by the distiller during the process. The exact time of collecting the hearts will determine much of the character of the finished product as does of course the ageing process.

Armagnac is distilled using a continuous still, also known as a single column still consisting of a heating chamber containing the heat source and a column with perforated plates as well as a second chamber containing the pre-heater and condenser. The system is more efficient than the traditional pot still used in Cognac. Although pot stills are also allowed for the production of Armagnac, most producers opt for the single column still which they say creates a more powerfully flavoured spirit of between 52 and 72% abv. The alembic armagnacais was a relatively simple traditional version of the Armagnac still that was portable so it could be taken round the local winegrowers and distil on demand. The distillation process for Armagnac ensures a richer, fruitier spirit than Cognac, which is what sets it apart.

Geography:
Both the Cognac and Armagnac regions have chalky soils but of course there are differences between various sites. The Cognac region is therefore split into six delimited zones, five of which are known as ‘crus’ and are deemed to be the best. They are Grande Champagne and Petite Champagne (nothing to do with the Champagne region in northern France), Borderies, Fins Bois and Bons Bois. The sixth zone is Bois Ordinaires. The first two have the chalkiest soils and produce the most elegant brandies. The Borderies and Bons Bois are on clay soils, which generally produce a heavier wine and spirit with the Fins Bois having a combination of clay and chalk. Although some Cognacs may be labelled with the specific ‘cru’, most producers blend the various ‘crus’ to come up with a consistent house style.

Armagnac is slightly simpler with only three ‘crus’, Bas Armagnac, Tenareze, and Haut-Armagnac. Again, chalk is the common factor in the best sites but the soils also contain large stones locally known as ‘boulbenes’. Not only do they help drainage but they help the ripening process of the grapes.

Maturation:
Cognac has to be matured in oak casks and generally barrels of between 350 and 400 litres are used. They can be made from Limousin, Troncais or Alliers oak with the latter two being finer grained. Most producers will mature the spirit in different barrels, changing throughout the process depending on the age and style required. Most start off in brand new or fairly new barrels which will give an instant hit of oak, imparting vanillin and tannin to the eaux de vie. Decanting it into older barrels will subsequently allow a slower maturation and integration by means of slow oxidation. The Cognac will also slowly start to drop its alcoholic strength and will develop more complex aromas and flavours.
Once the Cognac is ready for bottling, its strength will need to be reduced to 40% abv. This can’t be done too quickly as it would have an adverse effect on the aromas. So it is either done over time using demineralised water or in some cases with so-called ‘faibles’ a very low-strength mix of Cognac and water. The older the Cognac in barrel the lower its alcoholic strength will be, due to the slow evaporation so there will be very little need to cut it down.

Maturation of Armagnac is very similar albeit the oak is more likely to be Limousin, Alsace and a local black oak from the Monlezun forest. The latter is a very tannic oak and is a great structural base to mature the new spirit. Armagnac tends to mature a bit more slowly than Cognac due to the lower strength and their solid flavours. It therefore pays to look out for an older Armagnac as the young ones can simply be too coarse.

Classification:
Both Cognac and Armagnac use the same terminology to determine their age, although the interpretation of this differs;

VS or ***: a minimum age of 1 year for Armagnac, 2 for Cognac.
VSOP: a minimum of 4 years old for both.
XO: a minimum of 6 years for Cognac, 5 years for Armagnac.


Tasting Cognac and Armagnac:

At a recent tasting of Cognac and Armagnac at Oddbins the following examples clearly stood head and shoulders above the rest. They were certainly not the cheapest but with age comes complexity and softness, as well as increased prices I’m afraid.


Armagnac:

Baron de Lustrac
Folle Blanche 1986
A sweet vanilla and caramel nose develops into marzipan and roses, very floral, sort of Turkish delight. A very soft and full flavoured spirit with a honeyed sweetness and balancing citrus acidity. Long spicy finish.
This is quite an unusual Armagnac from the Bas-Armagnac region and made from 100% Folle Blanche.

Barthelemy Carrere 30 yr old
Spicy vanilla, soft woody notes and a bitter orange nose, developing into chocolate and caramel.
A lovely soft Armagnac on the palate. Quite concentrated with the tang of a dark orange marmalade and bitter chocolate.
Made from Ugni Blanc this proves the point that spending a bit more to get a lovely mature Armagnac pays off.


Cognac:

Pierre Ferrand ‘Selection des Ange’
A superb, complex nose like Oloroso sherry, warm honey, sweet vanilla spice, orange peel, tobacco and a delightful nuttiness. I could go on.
The palate is soft and almost sweet, caramelly. Orange peel and marmalade, a honeyed sweetness and wonderful long balanced finish. This is a premier cru Cognac and isn’t cheap at around £60, but it is superb.

Maxime Trijol 1969
I had to include and like this one from my birth year. And it’s good although if I’m being totally honest it is only just beaten by the Pierre Ferrand. (And this is a fiver more expensive as well)
I found this one winier, with less of the obvious sweetness on the nose. Lovely spicy mandarins though.
The palate is soft, full and creamy with bitter orange marmalade (spotting a trend, are we?) and liquorice. Very long finish.
A Premier Cru from the Grande Champagne in small supply.