Armagnac 1944

An armagnac from a single year

The rule of the vintage fits in one sentence: all the armagnac in the bottle comes from the harvest written on the label. No younger brandy to soften it, no blending to even out the style. This is what distinguishes a 1944 from a VSOP, an XO or a hors d'âge, blended from several years and designated by their age statement.

Time does the rest. For this brandy to reach 2026, a family kept it in the cellar for more than eighty years, resisting the temptation to sell it or to mix it with other lots. Which explains why only one reference remains in our cellar.

1944, the year of the Liberation

On 21 April 1944, an ordinance of the Provisional Government, signed in Algiers, granted women the right to vote and to stand for election (source: Wikipedia, article "Droit de vote des femmes en France"). On 6 June, the Normandy landings opened the way to the liberation of the country; Paris was liberated on 25 August (source: Wikipedia, article "Libération de Paris"). In the autumn, in the South West, the harvest took place and the wine went to the still during the winter. In the absence of a source from the houses on the quality of this Gascon harvest, we prefer not to characterise it.

Jean Cavé's 1944 Bas-Armagnac

Our 1944 armagnac is signed Jean Cavé. The house was born in Lannepax, in the Gers, in 1883, when Jean Cavé, a winegrower, set up there as a distiller and cellar master. Henri Cavé today represents the fourth generation; he inherited a collection of rare vintages, kept in casks and then in demijohns in the family paradis.

• Bas-Armagnac AOP, from the 1944 harvest exclusively;
• no blending, aged in Gascon oak casks;
• bottled brut de fût at 40.4% ABV, with no added water;
• 70 cl bottle, presented in a wooden box.

Why a brut de fût so close to 40% ABV? Because at this great age, evaporation, the famous angels' share, has lowered the brandy's natural strength, year after year. The house added nothing: it is time that set this figure.

How an armagnac is born

It all starts with a white wine, light and lively, made from the appellation's grape varieties: ugni blanc, baco, folle blanche, colombard. The house does not state which ones make up this 1944, and we do not invent them. The wine is distilled continuously, only once, in the armagnac still, a method typical of Gascony, whereas cognac goes through the still twice. The brandy then goes into oak casks, in the cellar, for ageing that can last decades. There it finds its colour, its aromas and its roundness. In the bottle, it no longer changes.

The appellation has three terroirs: Bas-Armagnac, to which Lannepax belongs, Ténarèze and Haut-Armagnac. The sands of Bas-Armagnac are reputed for fine and fruity brandies.

Aromas and serving

The Jean Cavé house does not publish a tasting note for its 1944. It describes its old vintages as having a mahogany colour and aromas of wood, vanilla and cocoa. Armagnacs more than 80 years old often also evoke prune, fig, candied orange, blond tobacco or rancio.

A beautiful dark colour, fine length on the palate, fruit mingling with wood: that is what one expects from a spirit of this age.

• serve it at room temperature, in a tulip glass;
• pour a small measure;
• let it rest for a few minutes before the first sip;
• taste slowly, as a digestif, without ice or water.

Giving a 1944 armagnac

In 2026, people born in 1944 celebrate their 82nd birthday. Giving them an armagnac from the year of the Liberation means offering them a keepsake full of meaning, to share with the family. The wooden box, serving as a gift case, makes it ready to give, among the most original gift ideas in our shop. For a collection, it takes its place between the 1943 armagnac and the 1945 armagnac.

Keep the bottle upright, away from light and heat. Unopened, it keeps for a long time; once opened, it is best enjoyed within the following months.

Other houses to discover

For more recent years, our shop brings together other châteaux and estates of Gascony: Château de Laubade, Château de Millet, Dartigalongue, Armagnac Delord, Castarède, Baron de Sigognac or Domaine de Pellehaut. Tasting a younger armagnac from one of these houses after this 1944 means measuring everything that eight decades in cask bring.

A few landmarks in the region: Laubade, in Sorbets, is a great Bas-Armagnac estate; Millet is located near Eauze; Dartigalongue has been based in Nogaro since 1838; Delord is Jean Cavé's neighbour in Lannepax; Castarède, founded in 1832, is a family-run merchant house; Baron de Sigognac is aged at Château de Bordeneuve. So many styles of brandy, from the fruitiest to the woodiest, to compare with an old armagnac or even with a cognac.

Frequently asked questions about 1944 armagnac

What is the price of a 1944 armagnac?

It depends on the rarity of the lot and its age. The price is shown on the product page, with the bottle size and the strength.

Where can I buy a 1944 armagnac?

At Plaisirs de Gascogne, an online wine and spirits merchant dedicated to selling vintage armagnacs: simple online ordering, secure payment, careful packaging, shipping and delivery in France and across Europe, and a customer service team ready to listen and advise you before you buy.

What are the characteristics of the 1944 armagnac?

A Bas-Armagnac AOP from a single harvest, without blending, brut de fût at 40.4% ABV, in 70 cl with a wooden box.

What is the history of the 1944 armagnac?

That of a wine harvested in the autumn of the Liberation, distilled the following winter, then kept for more than eighty years by a Lannepax family.

Find all our vintage armagnacs, year by year.

Please enjoy responsibly. Excessive alcohol consumption is harmful to health.