Armagnac – a passion for pure authenticity: The Baron’s Blog April 2025

By Jérôme Castledine, Commercial & Communications Director – Bordeneuve Châteaux & Collections 

In these curious times of generalised economic instability and wanton political doom-mongering, it is, understandably, the finer details of any positive subject which increasingly garner our attention, oft becoming objects of healthy obsession and motivational passion. 

So it is for the Baron de Sigognac. Having always taken immense pride in his vineyards and the natural Bas Armagnacs that they produce, he has, in more recent years, come to cherish two core values above all others: regional authenticity and pure craft quality. These are the cornerstones of artisanal distilling in France and, crucially, have proven to be major contributing factors to the increase of public demand for estate-produced Armagnacs over the past few years and this, despite the fluctuating nature of our world’s economies. 

At Domaine de Bordeneuve, the Baron’s working estate, provenance is paramount and all is unmistakably French and reassuringly regional, even down to the grapes planted in the vineyards, which include the enigmatic Baco varietal, itself unique to the Armagnac producing area. 

It is this authenticity, mandatory for the most part under the strict rules of the AOC Armagnac classification, which underpins the wonderful quality to be enjoyed in this natural eau-de-vie and that also drives the Baron to strive for excellence in the distillation of his collections of Armagnacs Sigognac, VAGHI and the unique cask-strength, single estate vintages from Château de Bordeneuve. 

The domain has been a viticultural estate since the middle ages, as can attest the 40-inch thick walls that have long supported the ageing cellars which nurse the fledgeling eau-de-vie produced at the property. 

These medieval cellar buildings also house the traditional alembic still, itself a 100+ year old veteran, with which the Baron’s precious Gascony Gold is distilled, as well as the hand-crafted, French oak barrels that impart their tannins and mellifluous, spicy notes over decades of slow and gentle ageing. 

The Armagnacs slumber patiently in the cellars until they gain sufficient maturity, and only when ordered (no stock is ever kept for mere warehouse inventory), even the bottling is then done by hand, thus ensuring that the product remains purely craft and that the whole process is authentically artisanal up to, and including, the finished article. 

For the bottling process, the vintage liquid is taken directly from the oak barrel, or glass demi-john (if the Armagnac has already attained optimum character and flavour), its actual alcoholic strength, at that time, is calculated and it is then transferred into an awaiting bottle… zero sugar or carbs, no caramel colouring, no sulphites, no chemicals or preservatives, in fact no additives of any kind whatsoever, just pure, unadulterated eau-de-vie of the highest possible craft quality, a.k.a., Bas Armagnac! 

Following world events over the past few years and the resulting increase in general search engine traffic, the pubic created a new, global passion for tracking down authentic distillations and hidden, craft gems for domestic mixology in the growing home cocktail market. 

Happily, this trend has continued and has equally extended its sphere of influence to now include cocktail, theme and concept bars, where these same home-cocktailers expect to find their favourite tipples. 

So, for Armagnac and, in particular, the Baron’s own Sigognac collection, this has brought a new, modern dimension to the traditional market and opened up the cellar doors to a whole new public, thirsty for originality and healthily obsessed with unearthing the rare jewel that is pure artisan quality. 

We may currently live in strange times but authenticity and purity will, thankfully, always win out in the long run; motivation with which to fuel the Baron’s own passion! 

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Lead photo credit : Barrels-medieval-cellars-Sigognac