Château de Castex d'Armagnac

Le Château de Castex d'Armagnac is located in the heart of the Gascogne region, about 30 kilometers from Mont-de-Marsan. The Château was built on a hill relief overlooking the Midou plain and the hamlet of Monguilhem. In the Middle Ages Castex was a fortification that defended the region mainly from the English, who occupied the area until the end of the Hundred Years' War. The history of the estate officially began in the 16th century, under the ownership of Antoine de Roquelaure, Marshal of France and friend of Henry IV. The Domaine changed hands several times over the following centuries, always retaining its prestige. It is no coincidence that it was in this area of Bas-Armagnac that the history and great tradition of this extraordinary French distillate was born.
Armagnac has been produced for more than seven centuries and is the oldest French spirit. A very long history that owes its origin to the fusion of different customs and skills: the culture of viticulture introduced in these territories during the Roman domination, the art of using the alembic still derived from the Arab tradition, and the practice of making wooden barrels typical of the Celtic peoples. The vineyards of the Château de Castex d'Armagnac estate grow the region's typical white grapes: Ugni blanc, Baco, and Colombard, which produce base wines with delicate aromas and low alcohol content. The wines are then subjected to a one-step distillation process in traditional stills fired by direct fire. Thanks to the skill of the master distillers, a very pure spirit of 52-55% vol. is obtained.
Once the distillation phase is over, the real life of Armagnac begins, which is transferred to new 420-liter oak barrels that will contribute to the evolution of the distillate and give aromas and color. After two years, the precious nectar is decanted into old oak barrels where it will continue its aging until bottling. The spent woods will yield nothing more to the Armagnac, but will allow micro-oxygenation that will enrich its aromatic profile with elegant tertiary evolution aromas. During this period some of the alcohol will evaporate, "la part des anges," reducing the volume and alcohol content of the Armagnac. The end result is a range of exceptionally valuable labels, from bottles aged 5 or 10 years to the most exclusive and precious vintage wines.