The Armagnacs de Montal:
An anthology of Armagnac
Maison de Montal boasts a remarkable anthology of Armagnacs, with vintages dating back to 1893! Produced as either a blend (crafted from eaux-de-vie of multiple harvest years) or a vintage (derived from a single harvest), each Armagnac in this prestigious collection is presented in an exclusive bottle, an elegant and iconic feature of the De Montal brand.
Terroir
The Armagnac appellation sits in the heart of Gascony, in the southwest of France. The De Montal Armagnacs come from the region’s most prestigious terroir – the Bas-Armagnac.
Nestled between the Landes Forest and the Atlantic Ocean, the vines are planted in valleys with sandy-silt soils, ideal for producing delicate and fruity eaux-de-vie.
Here, in a mild, humid climate that favours grape quality and maturity, four main grape varieties are grown: Colombard, Folle Blanche, Baco and Ugni Blanc.
Distillation
After the harvest in autumn, the resulting wine is distilled in a traditional Armagnac still, a unique copper apparatus that helps to define the character of each Armagnac.
When it comes off the still, the eau-de-vie is colourless and has an alcohol content of between 52% and 60%. At this stage, it is still fiery but possesses a rich array of aromas, including fruity notes of plums and grapes and floral notes of vine flowers and linden.
Ageing
After distillation, the Armagnac is aged in oak casks, known as pièces, in cellars where the temperature and humidity play a vital role in shaping its quality.
The eaux-de-vie remain in new pièces until they have drawn out the first aromas from the wood, a process carefully overseen by the cellar master. They are then transferred to older pièces to gently refine their aromas and acquire body and smoothness. It is during this phase that the Armagnac develops its distinctive character: the influence of the oak becomes more subtle, vanilla and prune aromas start to emerge, the alcohol content is slowly reduced by evaporation (the Angels’ Shares) and the colour deepens from amber to mahogany.
When the Cellar Master deems an Armagnac to have reached its peak – after a meticulous, artisanal process – he carefully transfers it into glass containers and stores it in an area known as “Paradis” (heaven)!
Bottling
De Montal Armagnacs are bottled to order, in a hand-crafted manner.
The brand’s iconic bottle is stamped with a wax seal, which is carefully applied and gilded by hand. The bottle is then adorned with a label and capsule bearing the De Montal signature. Each bottle leaves the premises with a certificate of authenticity.
