Baron de Sigognac

The Guasch family have been in Gascony since the 12th century and have owned the Chateau Bordeneuve since 1974. Even though their still room is a fraction of the size of some of the large Cognac houses, they are one of the regions largest courtiers and negociants, with an enviable collection of maturing spirit dating back decades. Today, the father-and-son team of Jean- Claude and Thomas look after viticulture, vinification and distillation. The property has 60 hecatres under vine with 75% being planted with Ugni Blanc and the remainder with the Baco 22a grape variety. The domaine is almost unique in the region as all its production is distilled into Armagnac instead of wine.

Up until the mid 19^th century Armagnac was distilled in pot still stills similar to those used in the Cognac region but when Edouard Adam of Montpellier invented a type of continuous still which allowed for a one shot distillation, which initially the Armagnac producers immediately realised its benefits for producing greater and thus more commercial quantities of spirit than their existing installations, but it is this still which is the key to the style of the regions spirit. The column features a number of rectifying plates, anywhere between 5 and 15.and it is the number of these plates which determines the final strength of the spirit. Those with 15 plates will produce a spirit of 70% abv, while the traditional still with 5 plates will produce a spirit below 60% abv. Generally the lower the final abv the less refined the spirit is and the more character it has. Certainly at Bordeneuve that is the case as their final spirit is drawn off at 55-58%.

The other key to the style of Armagnac is the base grape varieties. Although the main grape variety used is the same as in Cognac, it is the use of Baco 22a, the only hybrid variety allowed in any Appellation Controlee wine or spirit which imparts a foxy edginess when young but when aged it develops a rustic, pruney, tobaccoey charm which can be seen in the older bottlings. So, if you fancy something a little bit different, then have a look at the Baron de Sigognac range.