All about Armagnac

This was my first wine/spirits column for http://www.rogerspark.com/
posted on February 8, 2009

Warm up your Valentine with Armagnac

It’s a safe bet to say that those of us nestled up along Chicago’s coastline are getting a bit weary of the sci-fi like temperatures encasing us here on Planet Rogers Park. Even regaling out-of-towners with the record breakers is getting old. There’s only so many times my mother-in-law in Phoenix is going to be impressed with my pluckiness at venturing out when it’s -10 degrees.

So, besides piling on another layer (you sexy thing) what do we do to thaw out for Valentine’s Day? How about indulging the senses in a soul warming Armagnac?

France’s oldest spirit has a history nearly as colorful as Rogers Park’s, and much like the success of our community has been based on a rich blending of cultures and traditions, so it is with Armagnac. The Romans were responsible for bringing the vine culture to the Armagnac region in southwest France. Arabs arrived with the still and the Celts showed up with the barrels. But it was the Dutch that distilled the area’s wines in order to bypass a wine embargo. Thus began the brandy making process.

Armagnac can be distilled from folle blanche, ugni blanc and colombard, all white wine grapes. After distillation, it is aged in black oak casks. Unlike its better known cousin, Cognac, it’s only distilled once, allowing more flavoring elements to be retained in the alcohol. This also gives it more time in oak, which, many believe, infuses this brandy with more richness and aromatics. Unlike wine, Armagnac stops aging once it’s bottled so it will neither improve with time or go bad when exposed to oxygen, but it’s wise to store a bottle straight up, since prolonged cork contact will spoil brandy.

Okay, okay, it has a cool history and now we know how it’s made, but let’s get to the good part, how does it taste? Here, dear neighbors, is where I want you to slow down. We can’t soak up the glow of Armagnac if we’re rushing. (We all do enough of that anyway!) The first thing you’ll want to do is forgo the traditional brandy snifter. This was a bit disappointing for me to learn because I like the feel of those glasses, but it’s better to enjoy this spirit in a tulip shaped glass. I recently used a port glass, but a champagne flute is an even better way to concentrate the aromas.

Your senses will heat up the minute you start pouring. The liquid is a warm amber color which can range from honey gold to nearly mahogany, depending on how long it’s been aged. (Older Armagnac is darker.) Now it’s time to involve your nose, but, unlike wine, you don’t want to stick it into the glass and take a big sniff or the alcohol esters will burn your nasal passages. Hold the glass at chest height for a minute or two before you bring it to chin level. You’ll immediately be wrapped up in an array of cozy scents. You might detect toffee, pepper, rose, vanilla, nougat, chocolate, dried fruit, butterscotch, or roasted nuts.

Ready for a taste? Make the most of it by rolling the sip around in your mouth, coating your tongue and cheeks and holding it there a moment. Breathe in and savor. Now that shook the chill off, didn’t it? But that’s just the beginning of your exploration. As the brandy warms and opens in your glass, you’ll be treated to a changing palette of tastes as the evening progresses. If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace, you should be sitting by it with your Valentine, nibbling dark chocolate. If not, light a bunch of candles, punch up some blood stirring music and you should forget all about the crunchy snowdrifts and menacing icicles that strive to remind us that it’s cold outside. It may be, but it’s toasty in here.Most Armagnac is a blend of vintages and the label will indicate the age of the youngest wine. Here are some label notes: VS means that it’s aged at least two years in cask, VSOP or Reserve, at least 5 years, XO or Napoleon, 6 years, Hors d’Age, 10 years or more.

An old flame warms me up

You can’t quite remember why you broke up in the first place. There was never any drama, nothing gossip worthy happened, no neighbors were disturbed when you parted ways. The relationship ran its course and you needed a change. So it was with me and big oaky chardonnays. Sure, it was rich, creamy and comforting, but my taste buds began to crave the cleaner, more fruit driven chardonnays with little or no oak. Bright zesty Burgundians turned my head. But lately, I must confess, I’ve missed the comfort of those big shouldered, richer wines. The cooler temperatures certainly play a role in that. If I’m in the mood for a white, I want to be warmed, nurtured - coddled even. Last night was one of those nights.

I found myself in the mood for a rich, creamy chardonnay with just a bit of butter. Stop cringing. I’m not referring to that movie popcorn, processed butter that too many California chardonnays seem to be soaked in, but just a cozy touch, enough to warm me and take off the chill.

So, we opened an old favorite that my husband picked up recently at Binney’s, J. Lohr Arroyo Seco Chardonnay, (2010.) I really liked it a few years ago when we visited the vineyard, but hadn’t enjoyed it in a while. It was precisely what I needed. The subtle grapefruit top note was refreshing, but then her creaminess eased in, emboldened by just the right amount of oak. A little lemon poked its way into the mix as well.

The grapes are grown in the cool Arroyo Seco region of Monterey County, CA. This wine suits me just fine as a cocktail, but it pairs beautifully with a variety of dishes, the following, from Real Simple magazine, is one of my favorites, Chicken Sautéed with Apples. Made with dijion mustard, onions, garlic, thyme and apple juice, it cooks up into a gently satisfying meal. The wine will celebrate the baked apple in the dish and the meal will deepen the chardonnay’s flavor profile.

Do I still rendezvous with crispier, more subtle chardonnays? To be sure. But since fickleness is encouraged in the wine loving world, I can still curl up with my big bold pals when the mood strikes.