The Fantastic Four

Culture queen of the region since the 19th century, the vine is one of Gascony’s riches, particularly thanks to the great diversity of varieties that grow there.

Other than Baco blanc, of which is said to be the saviour of the Gascon vineyard^[1], the Colombard, Folle blanche and Ugni blanc are also principal Armagnac grape varieties.

Colombard, the less commonly used out of the four major varieties, is characterised by a powerful fruitiness that nowadays reserves it for the production of local wine.  It is the discreet one in the group.

The oldest grape, Folle blanche, locally called « piquepoult » because of the acidity that it gives to the wines, is the refined one in the team.  It brings finesse and floral aromas to young Armagnacs and the Blanche.  Devastated by phylloxera, Folle blanche was sparingly replanted on plots exposed to winds, as late frosts can be harmful.

Protectors of biodiversity

The difficulties of one are the success of another.  Following the invasion of the devastating insect, the Ugni Blanc put down roots in Armagnac.  Originally from Italy it is at ease on all soils and provides very satisfactory yields. It is the leader in terms of the volumes produced.  The savoir-faire of the craftsmen and the quality of the terroir bring the deserved finesse and distinction to this eaux-de-vie made from this transalpine variety.