Armagnac 1947

What a 1947 vintage armagnac is

A vintage armagnac is a brandy from a single harvest: the year on the label is that of the harvest, with nothing from any other year. Age-statement armagnacs, VSOP, XO and hors d'âge, on the contrary rely on blending several years, for a taste that stays consistent from one bottle to the next. A 1947 is therefore the reflection of a single season in the vineyard, and of a single cellar.

It is also the fruit of long patience. For it to still exist, a family had to keep this lot for nearly eight decades, without selling it to the trade or using it in its blends. That is why these bottles are so rare.

1947, between the Marshall Plan and the New Look

On 12 February 1947, Christian Dior presented his first collection in Paris, immediately nicknamed the "New Look" (source: Wikipedia, article "New Look (mode)"). On 5 June, the American Secretary of State George Marshall announced at Harvard the programme of aid for the reconstruction of Europe that would bear his name (source: Wikipedia, article "Plan Marshall"). In Gascony, the 1947 grapes were brought in during the autumn. One sometimes reads that 1947 was a very great year for French wines; no source from the armagnac houses confirms this for Gascony, and we therefore draw no conclusion from it for this vintage.

Jean Cavé's 1947 armagnac

This bottle comes from the Jean Cavé house, founded in Lannepax, in the Gers, in 1883, by a winegrower who became a distiller and cellar master. Since then, four generations have followed one another; Henri Cavé today carries on continuous distillation and the safekeeping of a collection of old vintages among the richest in the appellation.

According to the house's product sheet:

• Bas-Armagnac AOP, from the 1947 harvest only;
• no blending: a brandy that remained on its own from the first day to the last;
• aged in Gascon oak casks;
• bottled brut de fût, with no added water; the exact strength is shown on the label;
• 70 cl bottle, delivered in a wooden box.

Brut de fût does not mean single cask: the first term means that the armagnac has not been reduced, the second that it comes from a single cask. The house claims the first, not the second.

Vines, still and cellar

Armagnac is born from a dry, low-alcohol white wine made from the appellation's grape varieties: ugni blanc, baco, folle blanche and colombard. Folle blanche, a historic grape variety of Gascony, gives fine, floral wines; for this 1947, the house does not specify the grape varieties. The wine goes through the armagnac still only once, continuously; cognac, for its part, undergoes double distillation. The brandy is then placed in oak casks, where it takes on its colour, its tannins and its bouquet, while part of the alcohol evaporates. Once in the bottle, its ageing stops: that is why the bottling date matters as much as the harvest year.

The appellation is divided between Bas-Armagnac, Ténarèze and Haut-Armagnac. Lannepax lies in the first, a terroir of tawny sands reputed for its fine and fruity brandies, in the South West of France.

Tasting a 79 year old armagnac

The house does not publish a tasting note for its 1947. It describes its old vintages as having a mahogany colour and woody, vanilla and cocoa aromas. Armagnacs of this age often also offer notes of prune, dried fruit, walnut, sweet spices and sometimes rancio, with a full palate and fine length.

Serve it in a tulip glass, at room temperature, in a small measure. Let it breathe for ten minutes, then taste in small sips. It is a great moment at the end of a meal, to share with two or three close friends or family.

First observe the colour in the glass, then the aromas, before the palate: a long cellar master's armagnac is also judged by the trace it leaves in the empty glass, sometimes hours later.

Giving a 1947 armagnac

In 2026, people born in 1947 celebrate their 79th birthday. A bottle from their birth year is a rare and personal gift; the wooden box makes it ready to give, and it is among the rarest gift ideas in our selection. For a collection, it fits between the 1946 armagnac and the 1948 armagnac.

Keep it upright, away from light and heat. Unopened, it keeps for a very long time; once opened, for several months.

The other houses in our cellar

For more recent years, our online shop brings together the armagnacs of several Gascon estates and châteaux: Château de Laubade, Château de Millet, Dartigalongue, Armagnac Delord, Castarède, Baron de Sigognac, Clés des Ducs or Domaine de Pellehaut. From the Gers to the Landes, between Bordeaux and Toulouse, each château and each house of the region has its own style, terroir and tradition: a younger Dartigalongue or Millet, tasted after this 1947, shows the effect of decades of ageing on a spirit of the region.

Frequently asked questions about 1947 armagnac

What is the price of a 1947 armagnac?

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

Where can I buy a 1947 armagnac?

At Plaisirs de Gascogne, an online wine and spirits merchant dedicated to selling vintage armagnacs: secure payment, careful packaging, shipping and delivery in France and throughout Europe, and customer service available before you order. Reminder: the French Public Health Code (art. L3342-1) prohibits the sale of alcoholic beverages to minors; proof of legal age may be required from the buyer.

What are the characteristics of the 1947 armagnac?

A Bas-Armagnac AOP from a single year, without blending, bottled brut de fût, in 70 cl with a wooden box.

Is 1947 a great vintage for armagnac?

One often reads that 1947 was a great year for certain French wines, but we have no source from the armagnac houses on the year 1947 in Gascony. We therefore prefer to present the bottle to you as it is.

Browse all our vintage armagnacs, year by year.

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