Eric Artiguelongue Armagnac VSOP

Eric Artiguelongue Armagnac VSOP is a five-year-old blend from Bas-Armagnac, the appellation's most prized growing zone, assembled by a former cellar master who spent three decades learning the craft before launching his own label in 2005. The blend is 80% ugni blanc, 10% colombard, and 10% folle blanche—each varietal fermented separately, then single-distilled in pot-column hybrid stills that preserve more of the fruit character than traditional alembic distillation. Artiguelongue sources tiny parcels from independent grower-distillers across Gascony, ages the eaux-de-vie in local Gascony oak, and bottles without boise, caramel, or sweeteners—purist methods that remain uncommon even in Armagnac. Eric Artiguelongue built his reputation as a cellar master at a major Armagnac estate before striking out on his own to work with smaller producers whose output rarely reaches the American market. He purchases finished distillate in limited quantities, matures it in Gascony oak barrels—lower in tannin and higher in vanilla-forward lactones than Limousin—and transfers the spirit to glass demijohns once it reaches ideal maturity, halting further oak influence. This approach gives him precise control over the final blend, and the VSOP bottling reflects that discipline: the spirit spent five years in barrel before being bottled at the moment Artiguelongue judged the wood and fruit in balance. The result is a snapshot of Bas-Armagnac terroir without the over-extraction that mars many longer-aged brandies. The nose shows prune, quince, and candied orange peel—classic markers of well-handled ugni blanc distillate—with subtle wood tannin framing rather than dominating the fruit. The palate is bright and vibrant, the folle blanche adding lift and the colombard contributing mid-palate weight. The finish is long and dry, with walnut skin astringency, fig, and cocoa notes that arrive in waves rather than all at once. Pour it neat after dinner, pair it with almond tart or aged Comté, or use it in a high-end Sidecar where the brandy's elegance won't be buried under citrus and sweetener. Eric Artiguelongue Armagnac VSOP is available for pickup at our Lincoln Park bottle shop at 1128 W Armitage Ave, local Chicago delivery, or nationwide shipping.