A great Armagnac requires a sound wine that is perfectly natural, with a low degree of alcohol and high natural acidity. Though this is not strictly speaking the definition of what a “good” wine is, it is what will make an exceptional Armagnac.
Each varietal is harvested and vinified separately with perfect traceability from the parcel to the small tanks. Fermentation temperatures are controlled and stay below 26°C. Only the first juices are distilled. The press wines are eliminated. During the fermentation process, all the sugars are transformed into alcohol and when fermentation is completed, the wine is chilled, then rests to enable the heaviest lees to deposit on the bottom. This is a completely natural fermentation process. The wine is rarely more than 9% alcohol. Once the lees are racked, the wine, which has received no oenological additives whatsoever and has the fine lees are in a state of suspension, remains at a temperature of 15°C until distillation.
