AOC Bas Armagnac wines awarded at the Gilbert & Gaillard International Challenge

A.O.C./A.O.P.

Bas-Armagnac is the westernmost of the three geographical zones of the Armagnac appellation, alongside Ténarèze and Haut-Armagnac. Centred on the town of Eauze, it stretches across part of the Gers and Landes departments and accounts on its own for roughly two-thirds of Armagnac's vineyard area. The vines grow on light, acidic sandy soils tinted ochre by iron deposits, known locally as sables fauves, which define this terroir. The climate has an oceanic influence, softened by the nearby Landes forest. Four white grape varieties dominate the vineyard: ugni blanc, folle blanche, baco and colombard, alongside a handful of minor varieties grown on a marginal scale. These grapes yield wine meant for distillation: light, low in alcohol and acidic, well suited to the armagnacais still. The lightness of these sandy soils sets Bas-Armagnac apart from neighbouring Ténarèze, whose clay-limestone soils give firmer, more powerful brandies.

Grape varieties: Eau de vie : folle blanche, colombard, ugni blanc, baco

The wines of this appellation

Bas-Armagnac produces a wine spirit obtained through continuous distillation in the armagnacais still, which yields a spirit already rich in aroma as it leaves the still, still colourless at that stage. It is then aged in oak casks from Gascony or the Limousin, gradually taking on colour, from pale gold to deep amber, as ageing progresses. The youngest brandies, labelled VS, show direct aromas of ripe grape and sometimes white flowers. With age, through VSOP, XO and Hors d'Âge, the profile shifts toward prune, dried fig, vanilla, gentle spice and rancio notes, with a rounder, more concentrated palate. Vintage bottlings, drawn from a single harvest, and very old brandies alike show Bas-Armagnac's ability to mature in cask for decades. Thanks to the sables fauves, these brandies are known for finesse and fruit, more delicate than those of neighbouring Ténarèze. They are enjoyed as a digestif, neat in a tulip glass, or alongside a cigar, a mature cheese, or a chocolate or dried-fruit dessert.