France's oldest brandy, and its best-kept secret. Shop Armagnac online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — vintage-dated bottles, VSOP and XO blends from the small estates of Gascony, all available to order online.
Related collections: Cognac | Wine from France | Rare & Top Shelf | Liqueurs
Older Than Cognac, Wilder at Heart
Armagnac has been distilled in Gascony, in France's southwest, since the early 1300s — centuries before its famous neighbor. Where cognac double-distills in pot stills for elegance, armagnac typically passes once through a continuous column still, keeping more of the grape's rustic soul: prunes, leather, spice, and farmhouse depth. Four grapes (ugni blanc, baco, folle blanche, colombard) and three sub-regions — Bas-Armagnac above all — feed an industry still dominated by family estates rather than giant houses. The category's superpower is vintages: single-year bottlings aged for decades, sold at prices that make comparable cognac look absurd — a 30- or 40-year-old armagnac is the smartest splurge in brandy.
Birth-year bottles are the insider's gift, and this shelf is where they live.
Order Armagnac online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — seven centuries of Gascon craft, poured tonight.
Armagnac FAQs
What is the difference between Armagnac and Cognac?
Both are French grape brandies. Armagnac is from Gascony, usually distilled once in a column still for a fuller, more rustic character; Cognac is double pot-distilled for a smoother, more polished style. Armagnac is also the older spirit by several centuries.
What does a vintage Armagnac label mean?
The year on the bottle is the harvest year of the grapes — the brandy inside was distilled from that single vintage and aged until bottling, so a 1985 has spent decades in oak.
How should I drink Armagnac?
Neat, in a tulip glass, given a few minutes to open — older vintages especially. Younger VSOP bottlings also make a magnificent old fashioned variation.