In order to appreciate the labels that decorate the bottles, it is necessary to understand the different commercial denominations given to Armagnac and the length of time that they have been ageing in wood.
Age descriptions
The label descriptions, outside those of the vintages, always refer to the age of the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend. Hors d'Age is a marriage of eaux-de-vie where the youngest armagnac has aged in wood for more than 10 years. The same rule applies to Armagnacs that denote ages of 15 years, 20 years, 30 years, etc..
Commercial denominations
These include the younger Armagnacs on the market like the Three Star (more than 2 years in wood), V.S.O.P. (more than 5 years) and XO, (more than 6 years).
Towards simplification
Napoléon, Réserve, VSOP, XO, Vieux, Très vieux, Old, Very old, even older ..... All our studies show that no-one understands these terms and appellations, maybe not even us ! Hence, we have created a table of the different classifications that will make everything much clearer... Moreover, the BNIA has recommended to the professionals that certain categories, where possible, should be more clearly defined. Which Armagnac to use for what ? This table summarizes the main uses of our precious eau-de-vie.
Range
Age
(=youngest eau-de-vie at ...)
Denominations
Tasting advice
Today
Tomorrow
Entry level
More than I year old
3 star
3 star
Cocktails or traditional"gastronomique" cuisine
Middle of the range
More than 4 years old
VSOP or VO
VSOP
Good introductory armagnac for tasting : excellent value for money, easy, approachableproduct
Extra, XO, Napoléon, Vieille Réserve
Top of the range
More than 10 years old
Hors d'Âge
Hors d'Âge or 10 years old, 15 years, 25 years…
Tasting for pleasurepar excellence : product that displays the truechararcteristics ofArmagnac in terms of aromas, complexity , richness, etc.
Very top of the range
Date correspondsto the year of the harvest and must be more than 10 years old
Vintages
Vintages
Tasting pleasure for the connoisseur (strong characteristics) and gift idea. The specificity ofArmagnac
The label descriptions, outside those of the vintages, always refer to the age of the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend.
FLUX ARMAGNAC
