Baron de Sigognac | Bas Armagnac
Baron de Sigognac is an independent family-owned house and one of the oldest in Armagnac. The domaine is owned by the Guasch family and is situated on 42 hectares of prime Bas-Armagnac terroir, nestled in the gently rolling countryside surrounding the Roman town of Eauze, the capital of Armagnac. The tawny-sandy soils, coupled with a unique micro-climate specific to the domaine, favour the Baco and Ugni Blanc grape varietals, in turn, facilitating the distillation of consistently fruit-driven, Bas-Armagnacs with long, delightful finishes.
The distillation process is a continuous one: once lit, Baron de Sigognac's own, pure copper, alembic still - which dates back to 1921 - is active 24 hours a day, seven days a week, until all the juice from their vines has been distilled. They distill the juice only once; a process that is particular to Armagnac and which guarantees maximum fruit flavour. The Armagnac is distilled to 56% (a relatively low alcohol percentage for a distillate) to ensure that the finished product has maximum fruit and, equally importantly, eliminates any bitterness or over-powering alcohol presence. The distilled eau-de-vie is totally natural, 100% pure and free of any additions.
This freshly distilled Armagnac, which is called ‘Blanche’, is transferred directly into new French oak barrels that are constructed and toasted (burning of the inside of the barrels), to the domaines own specifications and then moved the short distance to the adjoining cellars, to commence the long ageing process.
The characteristics of Baron de Sigognac Armagnac are its roundness and fruit presence, married with supple structure and incredibly long finishes.