Saint Vivant Armagnac
Saint Vivant Armagnac is a smooth, high quality brandy.
Made in France, this full flavored Armagnac boasts a rich tradition that dates
back to 1559 when St. Vivant de la Salle produced the first bottle of Armagnac
Brandy. St. Vivant de la Salle, a lord who owned a number of vineyards in
Gascony, burned the first drops of a liquor which he then distilled and aged in
barrels made from black oak from the forest surrounding his chateau. Several
years later, he tasted the liquor and was so delighted that he gave it the name
of his region, Armagnac, later to become one of France’s most prestigious
eaux-de-vie. Selected white wine grapes, native to the southwestern French
region of Gascony, are fermented and distilled in traditional copper pot
stills. The resulting spirits are aged in oak casks until they are transformed
into a premium 80 proof brandy. The cellar-master then begins his delicate task
of blending this brandy until he achieves the smooth, consistent flavor and
golden amber color of St. Vivant Armagnac. Ever faithful to their famous
ancestor, the producers of Saint-Vivant Armagnac continue to distill their
product in keeping with age-old traditions and have commemorated St. Vivant de
la Salle’s achievements by using the “crooked bottle” originally used in the
sixteenth century.
The production of Armanacs SAINT-VIVANT is subject to the
requirements of the Armagnac DOC, established in 1936, which promotes a unique
and secular know-how. They are made from selected grapes (Ugni Blanc,
Folle Blanche, Bacchus), grown in the best regions: Bas-Armagnac with its
elegant and energetic character, and Ténarèze with its ardent aromas and
body. Its long aging in barrels of local black oak allows them to develop
fragrances of vanilla, prunes, violets and spices, as well as a nice amber color
with touches of mahogany.
Armagnac is produced in the Gascony region of Southwest France
and is among the earliest of spirits produced, prescribed over the last 700
years for a myriad of therapeutic benefits. Owing to its ancient heritage, the
production method is much simpler than that of its cousin, Cognac, with
just a single distillation through a column still prior to barrel aging. This
yields a spirit that is generally more flavorful and fragrant than other Brandies.
