MAQUISARDS Bas-Armagnac Dartigalongue 2007 45%

Bas-Armagnac is considered the most prestigious terroir of the Armagnac appellation. Located in the west of the Gascony region, it is renowned for producing the finest, fruitiest, and most elegant eaux-de-vie. This is why many leading estates, including Dartigalongue, plant their finest plots here and produce their finest vintages.

🗺️ An exceptional geography
Bas-Armagnac extends over the departments of Gers, Landes and part of Lot-et-Garonne.
Its soil, composed of tawny sand and iron dross, offers optimal natural drainage and a mineral richness which gives the Armagnacs their fruity, airy and racy character.

🌿 A terroir that enhances the grapes
Typical grape varieties: Baco, Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche
Continuous distillation in an Armagnac still: preserves the most subtle aromas
Slow aging in Gascon oak barrels, promoting the development of complex aromas
🥃 The Bas-Armagnac style
✔ Fruity and expressive: prune, apricot, raisin
✔ Elegant and supple: melted tannins, silky texture
✔ Long finish: woody notes, sweet spices, noble rancio

🎯 Why does De Michellot select Bas-Armagnacs?
Because Bas-Armagnac embodies the essence of the terroir spirit:
✔ More subtle than cognac,
✔ More distinguished than the Armagnacs of Ténarèze,
✔ Perfect for lovers of authenticity and finesse.

👉 Our Maquisards x Dartigalongue vintage is the perfect example: a vintage Bas-Armagnac, rich, deep and timeless.

Yes, Armagnac is one of the finest traditional French digestifs. With its deep aromas, warming palate, and rich flavors, it's ideal for ending a meal on an elegant and comforting note. For centuries, it has been prized for its natural digestive properties, linked to its composition and artisanal production method.

Why is Armagnac known as a digestif?
Unlike other drier or sweeter spirits, Armagnac offers a perfect balance between power, roundness, and aromatic complexity. Distilled from white wine and then aged for a long time in oak barrels, it develops notes of prune, candied fruit, spices, vanilla, and noble wood, which pleasantly coat the palate.

Many enthusiasts prefer it to sweet liqueurs or stronger alcohols, as it offers a long, warm and structured finish, without excess alcohol or heaviness.

How to enjoy it as a digestif?
At room temperature, in a tulip or balloon glass, to concentrate the aromas.
After a hearty meal, with a square of dark chocolate, a cigar or a mature cheese.
Alone or with connoisseurs, to appreciate the full depth of a vintage Bas-Armagnac.
Armagnac Maquisards by De Michellot: the perfect digestif
Our Maquisards x Dartigalongue cuvée, from Bas-Armagnac, is aged in oak barrels for several years. It offers a complex aromatic palette, ideal for the end of refined meals. Free from additives, caramel, and chill filtration, it respects the tradition of the true French digestif.

👉 Discover it on demichellot.com and offer your guests a moment of pure Gascon elegance.

Armagnac is a French brandy distilled from white wine, produced exclusively in the Gascony region. Older than cognac, its production relies on ancestral expertise, a unique terroir, and a specific distillation method.

Here are the 5 main stages in the production of Armagnac:

1. 🍇 Harvesting and winemaking
Armagnac is made from white grape varieties such as:

Ugni Blanc (the most common)
Baco 22A (specific to Armagnac)
Folle Blanche or Colombard
The grapes are vinified without the addition of sulfur to obtain a dry, acidic and light white wine, perfectly suited to distillation.

2. 🔥 Distillation in an Armagnac still
The main characteristic of Armagnac lies in its continuous distillation, using a copper Armagnac still.

This process involves only one heating, unlike cognac.
The brandy comes out of the still at 52-60% vol., retaining more fruity and floral aromas.
👉 It is this method that gives Armagnac its rustic, expressive and warm character.

3. 🛢️ Aging in oak barrels
The Armagnac is then aged in Gascon oak barrels, rich in tannins, which give it aromas of vanilla, spices, candied fruits and noble rancio.

Minimum 1 year of aging to bear the name Armagnac.
Classic mentions: VS (2 years), VSOP (4 years), XO (10 years), or vintage (single year).
4. 🧪 The assembly (or not)
Armagnac can be:

Blended: a marriage of eaux-de-vie of different ages to create a balance (like cognac).
Vintage: From a single harvest, aged alone, and bottled at its peak.
5. 💧 Reduction and bottling
Before bottling, Armagnac is generally reduced to 40% vol. with pure water. Some producers, such as those selected by De Michellot, favor slow or natural reductions, without additives or caramel.

🥃 Armagnac according to De Michellot
At De Michellot, we select only artisanal Armagnacs, like our Maquisards x Dartigalongue cuvée, aged for a long time in Bas-Armagnac, bottled in limited editions and without compromising on authenticity.

👉 Discover our exceptional Armagnacs on demichellot.com and taste the elegance of the oldest French spirit.

The most prestigious Armagnac is generally a very old vintage brandy, sourced from Bas-Armagnac, produced from small artisanal batches, slowly distilled, and aged for a long time in oak barrels. More than just a drink, it is a work of time and terroir, prized by connoisseurs and collectors around the world.

🥇 Some of the most prestigious Armagnacs in the world:
Château de Laubade 1900: a rare vintage from a historic house, kept in the cellars for over a century.
Darroze "Les Grands Assemblages" 60 years: renowned for its depth and unparalleled complexity.
Dartigalongue vintage pre-1950: old bottles that embody the discreet prestige of this house founded in 1838.
🥃 And at De Michellot: prestige through rarity and authenticity
At De Michellot, we defend another idea of ​​prestige: that of terroir, craftsmanship and emotion.
Our Maquisards x Dartigalongue cuvée is a limited edition vintage Bas-Armagnac, produced from a single barrel selected for its aromatic balance, richness and exceptional length.

🎯 What makes Armagnac a prestigious spirit:
Aged for several decades in barrels
Bas-Armagnac origin, renowned for the finesse of its eaux-de-vie
Handcrafted, no additives or caramel
Vintage or single cask traceability
Complex taste: dried fruits, leather, spices, noble rancio
👉 True prestige isn't something you flaunt; it's something you taste. Discover a selection of rare and secret Armagnacs at demichellot.com, for an authentic and unforgettable experience.

Armagnac and whisky are two prestigious, barrel-aged spirits that are often compared but fundamentally different. The former is a French wine brandy, the latter a grain brandy originating from Scotland, Ireland, Japan, or the United States. Here's what really sets these two worlds apart.

A completely different origin and raw material
Armagnac is produced exclusively in the southwest of France, in Gascony, within a controlled designation of origin (AOC). It is produced by distilling a dry white wine made from grape varieties such as Ugni Blanc or Baco. Whisky, on the other hand, is made from malted cereals (barley, corn, rye, etc.), which ferment before being distilled. It is therefore not a wine spirit, but a cereal spirit.

A distillation method that changes everything
Armagnac is distilled only once, in an Armagnac still, using a continuous process that preserves the grape's aromas. This single distillation gives Armagnac its warm texture and aromatic intensity. Whisky, on the other hand, is often distilled twice (or even three times, as in Ireland), in pot stills, for a drier expression, sometimes smoky or peaty depending on the origin.

Opposite aromatic styles
Armagnac seduces with its notes of candied fruit, prune, vanilla, leather, and spices, linked to aging in Gascon oak barrels. It expresses the richness of the terroir and the passage of time. Whisky, meanwhile, offers a wide aromatic palette depending on its origin: peaty and iodized for Scotch whiskies from the island of Islay, sweet and vanilla for American bourbons, round and floral for Japanese whiskies. Where Armagnac reveals fruit and wood, whisky explores the nuances of malt and fire.

Two cultures, two philosophies
Armagnac is deeply tied to French wine culture and terroir, with production often family-run, confidential, and artisanal. It is minimally modified, uncolored, and often offered in rare vintages. Whisky, more industrialized on a global scale, relies on different techniques but also offers prestigious vintages.

Why choose a De Michellot Armagnac?
At De Michellot, we select exceptional Armagnacs from historic houses like Dartigalongue, in Bas-Armagnac, the appellation's noblest terroir. Our vintages, like Maquisards, are bottled in small batches, without additives, and offer an authentic, refined, and profoundly French alternative to the world of whisky.

👉 Discover the richness of artisanal Armagnac at demichellot.com and explore another facet of the high-end spirit.