Armagnac · Gascony, France

France's Best Kept Secret

Discover Armagnac

France's Original Brandy, 200 Years older than Cognac.

Title page of a printed edition of Vital du Four's treatise — Maître Vital du Four · Cardinal

Chapter I · The burning water

In 1310, a Cardinal wrote of forty virtues.

First documented in 1310 by Cardinal Vital du Four, Armagnac is France's oldest brandy; predating Cognac by over 200 years.

First documented: 1310
Virtues recorded: 40
Older than Cognac: 200+ yrs

Chapter II · 21 Rébellion

A Rébellion in Brandy

Named for the biblical number 21, symbolizing rebellion, it blends vintage Armagnacs aged 21 to 43 years. Housed in a decanter shaped like a Cardinal's mitre, it embodies harmony, illumination, and wonder.

The 21 Rébellion decanter in front of the Cardinal du Four medallion

21Years, youngest in the blend
43Years, oldest in the blend
30Years, average age
1976Oldest vintage
400Litre French oak casks

Chapter III · The craft

Four promises. No shortcuts.

Small Batch Distillation

Distilled in the Alambic Armagnacais, a traditional continuous copper still.

Rare Grape Varieties

Ugni Blanc, Baco, Folle Blanche and Colombard, from Bas-Armagnac and Ténarèze.

III

Long, Patient Aging

Aged in 400-liter French oak casks from the forests of Monlezun and Limousin.

No Additives; ever

With no additives, its natural amber hue is entirely its own.

Chapter IV · Tasting experience

Complexity and power, with elegance and finesse.

Colour
Soft and brilliant amber brown.
Nose
Floral aromas of jasmine and iris, then gingerbread spices: nutmeg and cinnamon.
Palate
Dried fig, caramelized apples and toasted wood vanilla.
Finish
Long and lingering, with notes of cacao beans and salted caramel.

The tasting experience

Map of France locating the Armagnac region in Gascony, south of Cognac

Chapter V · Gascony

Three soils. One temperate sky.

Bas-Armagnac
Sandy, iron-rich soils that give elegant, fruit-forward eaux-de-vie.
Ténarèze
Clay-limestone soils, for fuller-bodied spirits.
Haut-Armagnac
The smallest zone: limestone-rich, and rare.

Recognition