What is the difference between cognac and armagnac and brandy. How Armagnac is made, as well as the best brands

Cognac and Armagnac are such similar names and such different drinks. In fact, cognac and armagnac have many similarities and differences. First of all, they are both varieties of brandy - a strong alcoholic drink obtained by distilling grape juice. The term "brandy" is tied specifically to the method of production of the drink. And cognac and armagnac got their names due to the name of the geographical regions in which the raw materials for the production of these drinks are grown. Armagnac is produced in the south of France - in the province of Gascony in three zones: Ba-Armagnac, Armagnac-Tenarez and Haut-Armagnac. To create this wonderful drink several grape varieties are used: Ugni Blanc, a native of sunny Tuscany, fragrant Folle Blanche, hardy Colombard and high-yielding Baco Blanc. Armagnacs are distinguished by geographical principle, as well as by the aging period. The official classification, which is indicated on the labels, divides Armagnac into three types: Blanche d'armagnac, which is not subjected to aging, unblended Vintage and Vieil armagnac, aged in oak barrels for at least 6 years.

In order for Armagnac to contain less tannins, it is aged in different barrels, successively changing new barrels to previously used ones. The result is a velvety rich drink. amber color, possessing fine taste. But, in order to get high quality product, ready-made alcohols of various aging and origin are mixed together. This gives the finished drink a unique aroma and deep taste. Armagnac fortress - not less than 40 degrees.
Cognac is produced near Armagnac - in the city of Cognac in the French department of Poitou-Charentes. Most often, cognac is made from Uni-Blanc grapes, because. it is highly acidic, resistant to disease and gives good harvest. French legislation strictly regulates the production process, possible additives to cognac, the geographical region of grape cultivation, and even the aging of the drink - cognac must be aged in oak barrels for at least two years. Even cellars in which cognac will be aged must undergo rigorous testing and receive a certificate of conformity. Like armagnac, cognac is made by blending cognac spirits different exposure.
The classification of cognac is a bit more complicated than that of armagnac.
The label must indicate the category that determines the aging time of the drink. V.S. (Very Special) - the minimum exposure allowed by law, i.e. two years, designation options - Selection, de Luxe, Trois Etoiles (three stars). The next step is Superior. Such an inscription means that the cognac languished in barrels for at least three years. If the exposure was four years or more, the labels write V.S.O.P. (Very Superior Old Pale), V.O. (Very Old), Vieux or Reserve. Older cognac (from five years old) is labeled as V.V.S.O.P. (Very Very Superior Old Pale) or grande reserve. The highest level of the official classification is X.O. (Extra Old), Extra, Napoleon, Royal, Tres Vieux, Vieille Reserve - this cognac is aged for at least six years. Cognacs that have been aged for more than six and a half years are not classified, because. on such long terms it becomes impossible to control the blending processes.
Most often, cognac is drunk from glasses called "snifter" - a bowl-shaped container narrowed upwards with a short leg. A little less traditional, but no less correct option- a glass in the shape of a tulip, resembling a flower bud on a long stem. The most faithful companions of cognac are dark chocolate, lemon, coffee and a cigar. It is not customary to cool the drink before serving. For lovers of non-traditional snacks, pastries based on chocolate or apples, cheeses without a strong odor, oysters or scallops, caviar, pate or baked lean meat. It is not forbidden to accompany the drink with fruits.
Armagnac can be drunk both from cognac glasses and from special Armagnac glasses - they are slightly smaller and have an elongated shape. Unlike cognac, armagnac is not forbidden to serve chilled, with ice or soda water. Standard set snacks for armagnac is the same as for cognac - chocolate, coffee, lemon and a cigar. But the extended list is very different - Armagnac is ideal for delicious dishes Gascon cuisine - foie gras, sauces, meat cooked according to a local recipe, as well as amazing Gascon desserts, which are often prepared with the addition of Armagnac. Like cognac, Armagnac is good as an aperitif, a drink that accompanies the use of dishes, as well as a digestif that perfectly completes the meal.
Do not forget that cognac and armagnac, despite their similar sound, are completely different drinks, each of them has its own character and its own rules of use. But with each of them you need to know the measure. Come to the Nezarulem alcohol outlet for the most the best cognac and Armagnac, try, compare and choose the drink that suits you!

Connoisseurs elite alcohol well known noble grape drink, but most average Russians are hardly familiar with this strong French alcohol. Based on the consonance of names, you might think that Armagnac is a kind of cognac, but this is not at all the case. There are some similarities between these two alcoholic drinks from France, but they have more differences. Firstly, their taste varies significantly, the history of the creation of each has its own characteristics, but the main difference between cognac and Armagnac is original technology production.

Strong French alcoholic drink armagnac (in the original Armagnac) is a subspecies of brandy, which is obtained by distillation or rectification of white grape wine. For the first time, this noble alcohol was obtained by winemakers from the province of Gascony, located in southwestern France, so this area is considered historical homeland armagnac. This strong drink has a large blend and has a whole palette of flavors that can be manifested by fragrant notes of prunes, vanilla, peach, hazelnut, lindens and even violets.

If you delve into the question of how cognac differs from Armagnac, then the following differences can be distinguished:

1. Historical features: armagnac is much "older" than cognac, because the first one began to be produced 150 years earlier than the second.
2. Locality of production: cognac is made in the west of France, armagnac - in its southern and southwestern parts.
3. Grape varieties: for the production of these two varieties grape brandy different varieties of berries are used, and only three varieties of grapes are taken to produce cognac, and up to a dozen varieties can be used to make armagnac spirits, due to which it becomes possible to make the latter richer in taste and more aromatic.
4. Production technology: cognac is distilled twice and aged in one barrel, and wine for Armagnac spirits can be distilled only once, but barrels are changed several times during the aging process, which allows you to get a wide range of flavors.
5. Fortress: before bottling, cognac is diluted with purified water, bringing its strength to 40% alcohol, while Armagnac is bottled undiluted, leaving the original strength in it up to 50%, obtained in the process natural process ripening.
6. Cost: due to the peculiarities of the production technology, Armagnac is more expensive than even elite types of cognac.
7. Popularity: Cognac is exported by the French to many countries, so it is known all over the world. Armagnac is popular mainly in France, so it is very difficult to buy it in other countries.

Story

If you believe the literary memoirs of ancient times, then the name of this drink comes from the name of the knight Herreman, who in the 10th century owned one of the estates in Gascony. In Latin, his name sounded like "Arminius", while the locals called the knight "Armagnac". But they began to produce and consume alcohol under the same name only in the 14th century, so the version of the connection with the knight raises doubts among historians.

The first reliable mention of Armagnac as an alcoholic drink dates back to 1348. Then it was simply called alcohol, obtained from grapes harvested in the vineyards of Gascony. In the middle of the fifteenth century given alcohol was freely sold within France, and by the middle of the 16th century it was exported to Holland and Germany. Armagnac from grape spirit began to gradually turn into a separate alcoholic drink only at the beginning of the eighteenth century, when this product already widely sold in the territories of other states.

The impetus for the birth of this variety of grape brandy was unfavorable weather conditions in different years, which strongly affect the grape harvest and, as a result, the stocks of alcohols obtained from it. In order to save stocks of alcohol in times of bad weather, winemakers tried to store them in oak barrels. After a long exposure of grape spirits in such containers, the French discovered a new noble drink that successfully combined rich strong taste with a whole palette of shades, beautiful colour mahogany and excellent flavor.

The drink production technology continued to improve, but at the end of the 19th century, when most of vineyards were destroyed by the phylloxera epidemic, the production of the drink stopped abruptly. Only with the beginning of the 20th century, the production of Armagnac spirits began to slowly revive and was taken under control by the state. The government limited the territory for the manufacture of this drink and secured the right to drink it. industrial production behind the Armagnac region, and identified three main zones in it: Lower Armagnac, Tenarèse and Upper Armagnac.

Production

Currently, following the law on the production of Armagnac of 1909, this alcohol is produced in three zones of the region of the same name:

• Ba-Armagnac (Bas-Armagnac);
• Armagnac-Tenarèze (Armagnac-Ténarèze);
• Haut-Armagnac (Haut-Armagnac).

Up to a dozen can be used to make this strong liquor. different varieties grapes, but four remain the main ones:

• Uni-Blanc (Ugni Blanc) or Trebiano is a variety of grape berries native to Italian Tuscany, since the beginning of the 14th century it has been widely cultivated in the vastness of France. In addition to Armagnac production, it is used for the manufacture of table wines, cognacs, brandy, balsamic vinegar.
• Folle Blanche or Picpoul - used to be the main variety for the production of Armagnac spirits, but after the epidemic, phylloxera was replaced by more hardy varieties. It is currently partly used to make Armagnac and Cognac.
• Colombard is a grape variety with white berries, bred and cultivated in France. It ripens late, resistant to diseases, so it is very popular among winemakers.
• Baco Blanc (Baco blanc) or 22A-Baco - high-yielding mid-season variety grapes with white berries, which, when fully ripe, acquire an amber hue. Bred by French breeder Maurice Baco on the basis of crossing the European Folle Blanche variety and the American Noah hybrid.

The apparatus for the distillation of grape spirits is called alambik; 2 types of apparatus can be used in armagnac production:

• Charente alambik - heating occurs using a gas burner, it is used mainly for the manufacture of cognacs;
• Armagnac alambique - the device is heated by burning oak wood, specially designed for the distillation of Armagnac spirits.

The entire technology for the production of this elite alcohol involves the passage of several stages from picking berries to bottling. ready drink:

1. The grapes are harvested, cut off from the bunches, moved, and then sent under the press.
2. The resulting juice is placed in special vats, where, during the fermentation process (about 3 weeks), it turns into young wine.
3. The wine is then distilled once through the alambic, a very slow process called continuous distillation, which results in the finished product typically having an ABV of between 52 and 72%.
4. After completion of the distillation, Armagnac spirits are bottled in new 400-liter oak barrels and aged in them for 6 to 12 months.
5. Then the alcohol is poured into old (with a period of use from 10 years) barrels, where it can be aged long time. In the process of many years of aging, Armagnac spirits partially evaporate, lose their strength and volume, but acquire saturated color mahogany and delicate, velvety, rounded taste.
6. When the alcohols are ripe, the blending stage takes place - mixing distillates of different ages obtained from different grape varieties.
7. The last stage of production - bottling finished product into bottles and corking.

Armagnac classification

There are two main factors by which a drink is classified - it is the appellation, or geographical area of ​​​​production, and the aging time. Appellations are designated as follows:

• Le Bas-Armagnac - drinks with this label are different light fruity notes in aroma;
• L'Armagnac-Tenareze - the taste of grape brandies with such an inscription on the label is rich, and the aroma is rich, they are usually aged for a long time;
• Le Haute-Armagnac - drinks with such an inscription do not stand for a long time, but they distinctive feature is a bright lively fragrance.

If there is an inscription “Armagnac” on a bottle of alcohol, this means that spirits from different appellations were used to make it. Until 1999, the classification of Armagnac by age coincided with the conventions adopted for all grape brandies. On the label, the exposure time was indicated as:

• Three stars - to obtain full-fledged alcohol, grape spirits (or, as French winemakers call them, “eau-de-vie”), aged for at least 2 years, were used.
• V.S.O.P. – the age of the youngest spirit during blending is at least 5 years.
• Napoleon or XO - spirits "over" 6 years old are used to produce grape brandy.
• Hors d'Age - in the blend of the drink there are "eau-de-vie" with an age of only 10 years.

Since 1999, the designations used to indicate Armagnac exposure are:

• Blanche d'armagnac is a pure grape spirit that has not been aged at all. Another name is "White Armagnac".
• Armagnac is a drink aged from 2 to 5 years.
• Vieil Armagnac is an “old” alcohol, the spirits to create which, before blending, matured for 6 or more years.
• Vintage - this is the designation of drinks that could not be blended; only one type of Armagnac alcohol was used to create them.

Armagnac producers

Not one winery in the south-west of France is engaged in the production of this noble alcohol, but the most famous among the producers:

• Domaine d'Espérance is currently owned by the Comte de Montesquiou, a descendant of the famous Duke d'Artagnan. The estate has belonged to this noble family since the 10th century, which is confirmed in writing in literary sources. The drink produced by the estate "Esperance" is considered the most noble and refined, highly valued by true connoisseurs of elite alcohol.
• Laberdolive (Laberdolive) - the winery belongs to the Laberdolive family, which produces grape brandy since 1866. In their possession are two distilleries, with the help of which all stocks of grape spirits of the estate are distilled. The alcohol of this distillery is called one of the most refined and seasoned. The collection of the family includes copies of Armagnac drinks from 1900 to 1989.
• Chateau Ravignan - a distinctive feature of the Armagnac drink produced by this wineyard is that it is sold only after ten years of aging. This elite alcohol has received many awards at competitions, so it is considered one of the best in France.

How to drink Armagnac

To feel all the subtlety and nobility of the taste and aroma of a strong French drink, you should know how to use it correctly. Remember the important rules for tasting and serving this elite alcohol:

1. To fully reveal the flavor composition of a mature drink, tulip-shaped glasses are used, and for young Armagnac spirits - spherical.
2. It is worth tasting the product 15-30 minutes after pouring into glasses - during this time, vapors are formed that transmit all flavor range drink.
3. Before you taste alcohol, you need to warm the glass in your hands, and then inhale the noble aroma to distinguish the shading notes.
4. To fully experience the luxurious taste of this grape brandy, they drink it in small sips, holding it in the mouth for a while.
5. Mature drink - great option alcohol for a digestif. As a rule, it is served with desserts (coffee, chocolate, fruit).
6. A young white Armagnac drink is often served as an aperitif with ice or between courses.
7. This type of grape brandy goes well with cigars, so it can be served without snacks, but only with tobacco products.
8. Armagnac connoisseurs distinguish a number of original Gascon dishes that are served under this strong, but at the same time exquisite alcohol Foie gras, flambé, Gascon meat, sauces and traditional Gascon Armagnac desserts.

Video

Even after trying real French armagnac and cognac, many amateur tasters wonder what the difference is. It seems that since they are called differently, then the taste boundary should be drawn clearly. After all, moonshine and vodka are so different, but the differences between the two brands of cognac are sometimes stronger than between Gascony and Charente drinks.

Armagnac is produced in Gascony, the legendary homeland of D "Artagnan. The vineyards of Gascony breathe the winds of the Bay of Biscay in the west and the Mediterranean breeze in the south. The grapes for Armagnac and the brandy itself (yes, Armagnac is brandy) are produced further south than the more famous cognac; Armagnac has more flavor notes brought by the winds of the Maghreb; Armagnac is undoubtedly more exclusive.

Cognac comes from Charente, a more northern department.

It is believed that the forefathers of Armagnac were the Romans, who distilled wines brought from their homeland with the help of alambiques borrowed from the Moors. By the way, alambik is quite easy to use, which you can buy in our store; you can also distill a drink that is not inferior in taste to either cognac or armagnac.

Like everyone strong alcohol, armagnac originally served medical purposes and was called de vie, the water of life. The Crusaders brought to Europe from the Middle East both the knowledge of distillation and distillers. However, along with knowledge from the East, plague and other new diseases for Europeans came, which the ancestors of the "Dartagnans" subsequently tried to treat with alcohol. Evil tongues say that only in the seventeenth century did the French realize that you can drink distillate even if you are healthy. It's hard to believe, but let's get back to the comparison.

The most amazing fact about the history of the confrontation between cognac and armagnac is that the latter was known almost two centuries before its more famous competitor! That is, Armagnac is older than cognac. So what did the drinkers of Charente do for almost 200 years, until they figured out that you can make moonshine and call it by its name? Yes, they just drank moonshine, without naming it in any way.

Of course, in the XIV century, Armagnac was nothing like a modern noble drink. It was just grape moonshine. Neither special varieties grapes, no aging in oak barrels, no requirement to heat the alambic only on oak wood...

This is now 3/4 of Armagnac is made exclusively from Ugni Blanc grapes. This high acid white grapes matures slowly and gains enough sweetness for subsequent fermentation. And here there is no strict division between the two drinks: Uni-Blanc (aka Trebiano, imported from Italy) is also the basis for the production of cognac spirit.

The difference between cognac and armagnac is that the latter is made only from grapes grown in the Gascony department of Gers, and only in three of its regions: Ba Armagnac (more than half of all Armagnac, and, I must say, the best half of it), Tenarez and O- Armagnac. Cognac is produced in the Charente region, and only there you can harvest grapes for cognac production.

You read above that Armagnac is brandy. The fact is that in the Russian Empire, and in the USSR, and in the Russian Federation, all drinks from grape distillate aged in an oak barrel were called and are called "cognac" - armenian cognac, Georgian, Azerbaijani, Moldavian, Dagestan ... And we, Russians, keep such a tradition, because we deserve this right: back in 1900, the Russian Shustov exhibited his Armenian brandy in Paris, won first place and received permission to name his aged distillate " cognac". The word "brandy" means "fiery, burning" and is assigned to all strong drinks without a specific place of production.

However, only drinks produced in the Charente, where the city of Cognac is located, have the right to be called "cognac". Naturally, only drinks from the Gers department have the right to be called "Armagnac".

Both armagnac and cognac are produced on alambic. For the production of both drinks, alambik is used, which works according to continuous technology. And here, too, cognac bypassed its Gascon competitor due to the best PR! Alambik with a continuous cycle is known throughout the world as "Charentes Alambik". But the "Armagnac alambic" is practically unknown.

How does the Charente Alambique work? About this - the article "What is the Charente Alambique".

How are cognac and armagnac made? In the harvest season bunches of grapes put under the press and squeeze out the juice. True, the use of a press that can crush grape seed, forbidden. Grape juice fermented (or fermented, as experts say) without outside intervention. Adding sugar or other foreign ingredients is prohibited. In the mild French climate, the wine is fermented for 2-3 weeks. The content of the volume fraction of alcohol in wine reaches 9%, after which it is time for distillation.

Getting cognac, like Armagnac, is much more like moonshine than. That is, Charente and Gascon noble drinks much closer to moonshine than vodka. Read about the technology of obtaining moonshine (and hence cognac) in our articles on moonshine. If technically the distillation of two types of French " fire water"does not differ, then the distillation timeframes are different. The Charente, where cognac is produced, is to the north, and the wine must be distilled before April 1, otherwise the unaged wine may turn sour. Gascony Armagnac is to the south, so it is distilled into alcohol until December 31 of the year of harvest.

The basis of cognac or armagnac is a distillate of the second distillation with a strength of up to 72% by volume of alcohol. It is this base that is bottled in oak barrels and aged. The base after distillation is naturally colorless and transparent. Minimum term aging of both drinks - two years. After six years of aging in a barrel, the organoleptic of the final product is unpredictable, so the taster then determines whether the strong drink will go into the bottle "as is", or whether it will need to be blended, that is, mixed with other spirits.

At first glance, this question seems irrelevant. Well, how, pray tell, can cognac differ from Armagnac, if both have an external similarity and French origin, both are made from grape spirit aged in oak barrels, are drunk in similar conditions from the same type of glasses, and they sound very similar?

In fact, there are differences, and no less than between other drinks of the same group. Let's find out how cognac differs from armagnac.

time and place

Despite the fact that both drinks come from France, this happened with a very decent time interval, and besides, in different parts countries. Armagnac was the first to appear in the middle of the 14th century. Cognac appeared only 150 years later - at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries. The homeland of the first was the Gascon region of Armagnac, while the second saw the light in the vicinity of the town of Cognac, located somewhat to the north - in the province of Charente.

It was the latter circumstance that allowed the youngest of the drinks to gain world fame: having access to the sea, Charente turned out to be much more accessible to foreign traders than Armagnac, located at a decent distance from both the Bay of Biscay and the Mediterranean Sea.

Production differences

As a result of geographical distance, there are numerous differences in the production of both drinks.

1. Grape sort

   For cognac, only Uni Blanc grapes are used, while Armagnac, in addition to the mentioned variety, can contain about a dozen more varieties of white grapes.

2. Distillation

   If, in order to obtain grape spirit for cognac, double distillation, then in the case of Armagnac we are talking about a single long distillation. As a result, a stronger drink from the Charente is diluted to the canonical 40 degrees before bottling, while its southern counterpart naturally acquires in the process of aging a fortress that fluctuates in the range of 40-50 revolutions.

3. Blending

   In the case of cognac, mixing of alcohol obtained from the processing of crops is allowed. different years. In the manufacture of Armagnac, only grapes of the same crop are used. Thanks to this, cognac is a more manageable drink with stable characteristics. The drink from Gascony, whose properties vary somewhat from year to year, likes to bring both pleasant and unpleasant surprises to its admirers.

4. oak barrels

   The mentioned drinks are aged in barrels made of various types of oak: cognac - from Limousin, Armagnac - from black. In this case, the latter, as a rule, is aged for a longer period. In addition, Armagnac producers are forced to look for a middle ground between achieving optimal time aging and preventing oversaturation of the drink with tannins abundantly contained in black oak. Therefore, the future Armagnac is aged only for the first time in new barrels made from freshly cut wood oversaturated with tannin. Subsequently, it is poured into older containers, albeit not so strong, but having a lower level of binders due to their venerable age.

All of the above factors could not but affect the taste, olfactory and even visual differences that exist between the drinks of interest to us.

Features of use

There are also some differences when drinking both drinks. First of all, they are due to the fact that Armagnac is more rigid, but at the same time it has a brighter and more diverse flavor and aroma spectrum.

If cognac is usually served either with coffee and desserts, or as a digestif, then Armagnac is not so demanding in this regard. In addition to the dessert-digestive role, it perfectly performs both as part of a combined aperitif and as a table drink (especially in company with foie gras and other dishes of southern French cuisine).

The rigidity of the Gascony drink has another curious property, thanks to which all varieties of Armagnac go well with an after-dinner cigar, while cognac in this case will be inappropriate.

These two drinks have similar names, so they are often confused by those who are not too well versed in alcohol. They are indeed somewhat similar, but still, these two types of cognac differ in many characteristics. They are made according to different technologies, moreover, they have different taste and aroma.

The common feature of both drinks is that they are made in France. They also have fruity and floral flavors. Both cognac and armagnac are strong spirits, the alcohol content in them is above 40 degrees. In addition, both drinks are brandy and are made from grapes.

What is the difference between armagnac and cognac?

Historically, the well-known cognac has always been in the first place - both a few decades ago and now. Armagnac became more famous in the 20th century and if earlier it was difficult to buy it anywhere, today the drink can be bought both in a supermarket and in an online store.

The main differences between these two drinks:

Grape. For the preparation of Armagnac, varieties such as Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, Vasso are used. And for cognac - Ugni Blanc (green grapes).

Place of manufacture. Almost all cognac is distilled in the city of the same name, in France. Armagnac is distilled in Armagnac, in Gascony, in the southwest of France, in copper tanks called alambic. The regions in which drinks are made differ in climate and soil. Cognac is aged in barrels made of Limousin oak. His fellow Armagnac - in black oak barrels.

Consistency. A. differs more thick consistency, K. liquid.

Fruity aroma. Armagnac has a pronounced fruity smell. Most often it is a mixture of orange, plum, grape, quince and apricot.

Age. Armagnac improves its taste only after 20-30 years. Cognac reaches a great taste by 30-40 years. After this period of time, the strength of the drinks begins to gradually decrease. The older the drink, the less alcohol it contains.

Armagnac is distilled only once, cognac is a double distilled drink.

A. is not popular outside of France, in all countries K is more popular.

Question price. In terms of value, Armagnac is somewhat more expensive than its counterpart, which is why many do not want to take risks and refuse to buy it.

Taste. A. has a stronger, rougher taste. K. is distinguished by softness and tenderness, perhaps the reason is the lower strength of the drink.

Color- Armagnac differs from cognac in a darker shade.

How to drink? Armagnac can be used in pure form, but it is also often added to cocktails. What can not be said about cognac - it is customary to use it as an independent drink. Both drinks can be served in cognac glasses. Before drinking Armagnac, be sure to warm the glass in your hands, this will enhance it. bright taste. It is customary to drink a drink without snacks.

It is impossible to say unequivocally which of the two strong drinks tastier, someone likes a stronger Armagnac, someone likes soft cognac. In any case, if you like trying new things, be sure to buy an Armagnac at least once. Perhaps he will become your favorite.

Men's online magazine site