Armagnac

At the heart of the Gascony region, the Armagnac vineyards have an authentic local heritage: remnants of the ancient Romain empire, chateaux, Flaran Abbey, and villages listed among the ‘Most Beautiful Villages of France’. These villages include

• Larressingle, often described as the ‘little Carcassonne’, the famous ancient fortified town listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site,
• Fourcès, the historic circular-walled village
• Lectoure .
• In between a visit to a museum or a walk along part of the famous Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle pilgrims’ trail, you can meet the winemakers in the friendly Gascony villages during a tasting, and savour the world-famous local delicacies.
• The vines flourish in three wine districts which give Armagnac its unique character: the Bas-Armagnac (between Eauze and Nogaro), the Armagnac-Ténarèze (around Condom and Vic-Fezensac) and the Haut-Armagnac (between Auch and Lectoure).
• La Bastide d’Armagnac is a classic bastide town with a central arched square (Place Royal) that was built at the end of the 13th century by the Count of Armagnac, Bernard VI. In the main square, you’ll find several restaurants and coffee places as well as an Armagnac shop so if you don’t have time to visit a distillery, this is a good place for tastings. The main square is surrounded by many narrow streets with old wooden houses, most of which are the original houses, adding to the authenticity of the village.
• Saint Justin Less than five km from La Bastide d’Armagnac you’ll find another beautiful village called Saint Justin. Here the central square is quite simple and doesn’t give away the charm of this little town, but a short stroll will make you fall in love with Saint Justin. My favorite part is the string of beautiful houses covered with flowers peacefully overlooking the little river that crosses the town. If at this point you’re starting to be hungry, Saint Justin is a great place to stop for lunch or dinner. Along the main street, Allée Gaston Phoebus, you’ll find several good restaurants. One that I particularly liked was Le Cadet de Gascogne.
• Mauvezin d’Armagnac is a small village located just next to La Bastide d’Armagnac. It’s very small without any specific monuments but there are a few beautiful old houses with wooden fronts in the center and it’s worth a short stop on the way.
• Roquefort Another beautiful town in Lower Armagnac is Roquefort, not to be confused with the famous blue cheese. Roquefort, founded in the 10th century, is a fortified town situated on the road to Vézelay (one of the roads to Camino de Santiago). There are a few points of interest I recommend seeing when visiting the town, among them the beautiful Eglise Saint Marie, the bridges, and the 1949 art deco building, the foyer municipal. The best day to visit Roquefort is Saturday with the weekly market
• Taste Floc de Gascogne While Armagnac is quite a familiar name among spirit lovers, Floc de Gascogne is a much more local drink that’s popular mostly in the Southwest of France. Floc de Gascogne is a regional aperitif, a vin de liqueur fortified with Armagnac which is mostly consumed in the old Gascony region where Armagnac is produced. Many of the Armagnac houses produce Floc de Gascogne as well so if Armagnac is a bit too strong for you, try this drink.

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Domaine de Herrebouc.

Chateau de Lacquy is the oldest Armagnac house in the Bas-Armagnac region. The Chateau is owned by the de Boisséson family that has been producing Armagnac since acquiring the property in 1711. We were welcomed by the owner, Gilles de Boisséson, who gave us a very interesting and extensive tour of the vineyards and the cellars and served us so many glasses straight from the barrels that my husband finished the tour quite “pompette” as they say in French. You can contact them through their site to book a tour. The owner speaks English which makes communication very easy.

Chateau de Ravignan is a family property, built in the 17th century in the Louis XIII style and is labeled a historic monument. The Ravignan family has been occupying the place and producing Armagnac there since 1732. Apart from tasting Armagnac and visiting the cellars, you can also take a guided tour in the impressive chateau and discover the history of the family through their art, furniture, and decorations. The chateau is surrounded by beautiful French gardens that can be visited separately from the chateau. This chateau is open daily in the summer so you don’t need to call ahead if you want to visit the chateau itself. However, if you want to do some tastings it’s better to contact them in advance.

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