Baron de Sigognac Vintage Armagnac Chart

Discover our collection of vintage Armagnacs, including those from Baron De Sigognac, Baron de Lustrac, Clos Martin and Janneau by visiting this link. Perhaps you’ll find one from your birth year!

Baron de Sigognac is a leading supplier of Armagnac, specializing in older Vintage Armagnacs and, at Fareham Wine Cellar, we offer a diverse selection of Armagnacs from Baron de Sigognac, with vintages dating back to the early 1900s. 

Thierry Beaumont from Baron de Sigognac has kindly granted permission for me to share this Armagnac Vintage Chart. The chart provides a comprehensive comparison of the main characteristics of Baron de Sigognac Armagnac vintages. It allows you to cross-reference the five primary tastes – spices, fruits, bakery, floral, and green – with three different weights, ranging from “fine, light, and easy to drink” to “classic, rich, and well-balanced,” up to the “more powerful and expressive” vintages.

To explore the main characteristics of Vintage Armagnacs from your birth year, please follow the link below to open the PDF file:

Baron de Sigognac Vintage Chart – baron-de-sigognac-vintage-chart

Armagnac is widely regarded as France’s second most famous brandy, after Cognac. It is known for its richness, full-bodied nature, and powerful flavours, which often surpass the delicate and floral qualities of Cognacs. As Armagnac ages, it becomes incredibly soft, smooth, and mellow, offering excellent value for money compared to its more celebrated counterpart.

When exploring vintage Armagnacs, the quality and climatic conditions of a specific year do play a part but, unlike regular table wines, Armagnac requires a base wine with high acidity and low alcohol content for distillation. This means that vintages that are not great for table wines can produce exceptional Armagnacs.

The soils on which the vines are planted also play a role in shaping the character of the Armagnac. Sandy soil tends to yield smoother brandies, whilst limestone and clay soils produce more robust and closed profiles. Bas Armagnac, which is located in the western part of Gascony, produces delicate and fruity brandies due to its sandy soil. Haut Armagnac, situated in the eastern part, yields robust and powerful brandies with a higher alcohol content and pronounced tannins, owing to its limestone and clay soil. Tenareze Armagnac, the central sub-region, strikes a balance between the finesse of Bas Armagnac and the power of Haut Armagnac. It produces full-bodied brandies with rich flavours. 

The ageing process is crucial for Armagnac’s development. It is best for the spirit to first age in new oak barrels and then continue maturing in used oak casks. Properly seasoning the oak staves is important to avoid undesirable tannic or green flavors. Armagnac producers who store their spirit in drier cellars tend to produce drier-tasting spirits compared to rounder spirits characteristic of spirits aged in more humid cellars.#

Vintage Armagnacs offer a diverse range of flavours and characteristics. By considering the quality and climactic conditions of a specific year, the timing and degree of distillation, the ageing process, and the reputation of the producer or negociant, you can make informed choices when selecting the finest vintage Armagnacs for your enjoyment.

About Baron de Sigognac

The Guasch family has owned Baron de Sigognac since 1974 and can trace their Gascony heritage back to the 12th Century. They have become one of the region’s largest courtier and negociant operations, specializing in sourcing and bottling older vintage Armagnacs. Notably, the Domaine exclusively focuses on distilling Armagnac and does not produce any wines. The distillation process employs a century-old short column still, producing approximately 50 to 60 casks of new Armagnac each year. The spirit is then left to age gracefully in their cellars until Jean-Claude and Thomas, the father-and-son team, decide to bottle it as a single vintage Armagnac or incorporate it into their exceptional blends. Be sure to explore their 10-year-old, 20-year-old, 25-year-old, and 50-year-old blends, as well as the remarkable Platinum XO.