Cognac and Armagnac: stories and differences

Cognac and Armagnac are two French eaux-de-vie aged in oak barrels (with the exception of Blanche d'Armagnac) and made from the same material first, the white grape. Nevertheless, each of them has its own identity and a very rich century-old history.

Here is a summary that will allow you to better understand the uniqueness of these 2 spirits.

Location, organization & climate

300 kilometers separate Cognac and Armagnac. Indeed, if the latter is produced in the South-West of France, the Cognac originates from the North of Bordeaux, mainly from the departments of Charente and Charente-Maritime.

This difference in location implies a climatic difference: Cognac enjoys a particularly oceanic climate (rather high rainfall, low annual temperature variations) while Armagnac benefits from a more continental zone ( lower rainfall, greater annual temperature variations).

From an organizational point of view, AOC Cognac is divided into 6 crus (Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois, Bons Bois and Bois Ordinaires) .The most popular crus are those located around the town of Cognac: Grande Champagne & Petite Champagne.

AOC Armagnac is made up of 3 sub-regions: Bas Armagnac, Haut Armagnac and Armagnac Ténarèze.

These distinctions were created because of the slight differences in terroir as well as the quality of the eaux-de-vie produced. However, be careful not to make too many generalizations, the quality of the final product depends more on the quality of the vineyard and the know-how of the distiller than on any notion of vintage.

Quantified comparisons

Comparing the Armagnac and Cognac markets is like comparing David and Goliath.

Indeed, if the Cognac vineyard area is 75,000 hectares, Armagnac covers only 15,000 (5 times less SO). Furthermore, the Cognac market represents around 3.5 billion euros in turnover for almost 200 million bottles.Compared to these figures, Armagnac seems very small with a artisanal production of 6 million bottles (30 times less) and a turnover of 40 million euros (85 times less). Finally, if Cognac is a market resolutely turned towards export (98% of its volumes), France still represents 50% of the Armagnac market.

However, the differences between these 2 eaux-de-vie cannot be reduced to a war of numbers. Indeed, each of these spirits has a unique history, a distinct distillation process as well as different terroirs and taste markers.

History of Cognac and Armagnac

Cognac: From the 15th century and thanks to the Charente river, Dutch vessels came regularly to stock up on wines from the region. However, the latter do not support long journeys at sea. To remedy this problem, the Dutch then decided to distill these wines. They first make it in Holland and name the product "brandwijn" (burnt wine) which later will give "brandy", eau-de-vie de vin. They will then install stills in Charente, which will allow the product to travel as an unalterable eau-de-vie.

In the 18th century, the market began to get organized and it was during this period that most of the big houses were created: Martell (1715), Rémy Martin (1724), Hennessy (1765) etc. In 1860, at the instigation of Napoleon III and thanks to the signing of a commercial treaty between France and England, Cognac began a meteoric rise.

Historically, Cognac has therefore always been an export product: first for the Dutch, then for our English friends. Even today, its production is exported to 160 countries with the United States as the number one customer. Moreover, unlike Armagnac, Cognac is a very concentrated market: the top 4 trading houses (Martell, Rémy Martin, Hennessy, Courvoisier) represent 90% of the market!

Armagnac : Historically, Armagnac is older than Cognac.The spirit is also considered the oldest in France thanks to writings dating back to 1310. It is then called "Aygue Ardente" (or eau-de-vie, quite simply).

If the 15th century marked the beginning of its commercialization, it was in the 18th century that the boom in the market began.At that time, the Dutch (them again!) went up the Garonne and concluded their first contract with winegrowers from the Gers for the purchase of wines. Fearing competition, the people of Bordeaux intercept convoys descending the river on the pretext that no wine other than Bordeaux can be transported by river. While wine is banned, spirits are not, and this is how significant wine distilling began in the Gascony region. The Dutch therefore buy large quantities of Armagnac alcohol used to enrich and stabilize the wines they supply to the peoples of northern Europe.Armagnac then becomes a real commercial product that undergoes the fluctuations of the years, good or bad. To smooth the quality, we decided to put the eau-de-vie in reserve in wooden barrels. We will then discover the benefits of aging: color, roundness and aromas.

Terroir & grape varieties

The Cognac soils are known to be very calcareous while the Armagnac terroir is more diverse: mainly sandy, some areas are also clay-limestone and clay-siliceous.

In terms of grape varieties, ugni blanc represents 98% of Cognac vines. It has a high acidity and a low sugar content corresponding to the criteria sought for distillation. It can be supplemented with other grapes such as Colombard, Folle blanche and a few others in very small numbers.

Armagnac has a more varied composition: if Ugni blanc is also very present (55%), 9 other grape varieties can be used, including notably the Baco (35%) or the Folle Blanche and the Colombard. This diversity is due to the region's winemaking tradition which also produces tasting wines while the Cognac region only produces wine for distillation.

Distillation

To obtain a cognac, double distillation in copper pot stills (called Charentais pot stills) is mandatory.

While Armagnac can also use this method, distillers in the region overwhelmingly use short column stills allowing single continuous distillation.

We will not go into overly technical considerations here, but it is important to remember that no method can be considered more qualitative than the other. Indeed, when it comes to obtaining a quality eau-de-vie, the key elements remain above all the quality of the grapes and the know-how of the distiller.

Taste markers & age indications

While markers exist for these two spirits, it can nevertheless be complex for tasters (even professional ones) to blindly distinguish a Cognac from an Armagnac, particularly for those who have undergone long aging in oak barrels. So there's no shame if you've ever confused the two!

Cognac is generally identified by aromas of raisins or violets. For Armagnac, the prune and more pronounced floral aromas can help identify it. The older these eaux-de-vie, the more they will tend towards common aromas of candied fruit and orange peel.

Finally, while it is common to produce vintage Armagnacs (bearing the mention of a specific harvest year), it is much less common for Cognac. It should also be noted that each of the eaux-de-vie can bear mentions guaranteeing a number of years of ageing:

What to choose?

While several elements unite Cognac and Armagnac, many differences also characterize them, allowing us to enjoy two eaux-de-vie of a unique character and representing French know-how throughout the world.

Some may enjoy a rich and complex aromatic XO Cognac. Others prefer the floral, fiery and fragrant aspect of a young Armagnac. Only one solution to find out what you like: tasting.

For these spirits, La Cave Éclairée works with two exceptional houses: Cognacs Guy Lhéraud and Armagnacs Baron Gaston Legrand.

Don't hesitate to call on the services of La Cave Éclairée for advice!