Armagnac is a brandy shaped by its terroir. The armagnac region covers part of Gascony, spanning Gers, Landes and Lot-et-Garonne, and is divided into three areas: Bas-Armagnac in the west, Ténarèze in the centre and Haut-Armagnac in the east. The soil, climate and landscape change from one area to the next, and so does the character of the eaux-de-vie. This guide will help you read the armagnac map and understand what these names mean on a label.
Where is armagnac made? A map of an appellation spanning Gers, Landes and Lot-et-Garonne
The armagnac region lies in south-west France, in Gascony, straddling two administrative regions: Occitanie for Gers, and Nouvelle-Aquitaine for Landes and Lot-et-Garonne. The AOC Armagnac specification (cahier des charges) places it between the Garonne to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Pyrenees to the south. Its production area brings together communes from three departments:
- Gers, with 245 communes, the heart of the appellation;
- Landes, with 29 communes, to the west;
- Lot-et-Garonne, with 18 communes, to the north.
On the map, the trade body likens this vineyard area to a vine leaf. It covers around 20,000 hectares of vines, shared with the Côtes de Gascogne wines and Floc de Gascogne; according to the BNIA, some 5,200 hectares are designated for armagnac production. Vines are often in the minority here, surrounded by woodland, meadows and crops: this is a land of mixed farming and livestock as much as of vineyards.
The name comes from the former County of Armagnac, which gave its name to the brandy. For its history, origins and definition, see our guide what is armagnac.
From west to east: the climate and soils behind the armagnac terroir
The specification describes a territory that changes gradually from west to east, like a colour gradient.
The climate is temperate oceanic. In the west, the influence of the Atlantic brings regular and abundant rainfall, with no real summer drought. In the east, the climate becomes more continental: summers are dry until the storms at the end of the season, and the trade body notes the influence of the autan wind there.
The soils follow the same pattern:
- in the west, tawny sands (sables fauves) dominate, a formation of marine origin. They support silty to sandy, acidic soils known locally as boulbènes;
- further east, they give way to molasse, a clay formation with beds of hard limestone. It produces either deep clay soils, the terreforts, or stony limestone soils, the peyrusquets;
- in the centre, the two formations intermingle.
The landscape, finally, shifts from rounded hills in the west to more deeply cut valleys in the east, shaped by the limestone beds. Rivers have carved out the asymmetrical valleys typical of Gascony, with one gently sloping side and a steeper, often wooded, opposite side.
One notable point: the vines find water everywhere, but not in the same way. In the west, it comes from the rain; in the east, the clay terreforts hold on to it through the dry summer. This steady supply gives fresh grapes and wines low in alcohol, which is exactly what distillation calls for.
Bas-Armagnac, the terroir of tawny sands
Bas-Armagnac occupies the west of the appellation, across part of Gers and Landes. The trade body presents Eauze as its capital; it accounts for around 67% of the area designated for armagnac. Among its communes, the specification mentions Eauze, Nogaro, Cazaubon, Sorbets, Lannepax, Mauléon-d'Armagnac and Panjas in Gers, and Labastide-d'Armagnac, Gabarret and Parleboscq in Landes.
On its tawny sands and boulbènes, the finest eaux-de-vie are, according to the BNIA, delicate and very fruity. It is also the favoured home of baco, which is well suited to these sandy soils, as explained in our guide to armagnac grape varieties.
Most of the houses in our cellar are based here. Château de Laubade in Sorbets, Dartigalongue in Nogaro, Delord in Lannepax, Castarède in Mauléon-d'Armagnac and Domaine de Laballe in Parleboscq, on the Landes side, are good examples. Our full selection of armagnacs, including many Bas-Armagnacs, is gathered in our cellar.
Ténarèze (Tenareze), the terroir of full-bodied eaux-de-vie
Armagnac Ténarèze stretches across the centre of the appellation, around Condom, covering north-west Gers and southern Lot-et-Garonne. It accounts for around 32% of the designated area. Its communes include Condom, Montréal, Saint-Puy, Fourcès, Gondrin and Vic-Fezensac in Gers, and Nérac, Mézin and Francescas in Lot-et-Garonne.
Here, the sands give way to boulbènes and clay-limestone soils. According to the trade body, the armagnacs born here are often powerful and full-bodied.
Two estates from our selection are based here:
- Domaine de Pellehaut, in Montréal-du-Gers, on the slopes of Ténarèze;
- Château de Monluc, in Saint-Puy, in the heart of Ténarèze.
Other houses, such as Clés des Ducs and Maison Vasconia, blend eaux-de-vie from Bas-Armagnac and Ténarèze depending on the cuvée.
Haut-Armagnac, the “Armagnac blanc” of limestone country
Haut-Armagnac covers a large part of eastern and southern Gers, around Auch, the departmental capital, and towns such as Lectoure, Fleurance, Marciac, Plaisance, Riscle and Saint-Mont. The trade body nicknames it “Armagnac blanc” (white Armagnac), because of the limestone that breaks the surface in this part of the country.
It is the least planted of the three areas. Vines spread here mainly in the 19th century, at a time of strong demand, and only a handful of producers keep the armagnac tradition alive there today. Bottles bearing the Haut-Armagnac name are therefore rare. Our selection currently focuses on Bas-Armagnac and Ténarèze.
Armagnac or Bas-Armagnac: what the label tells you
Bas-Armagnac, Armagnac Ténarèze and Haut-Armagnac are not three separate appellations. There is a single appellation, “Armagnac”, and these three names are additional geographical designations that may be added to it. To qualify, the eau-de-vie must come from grapes harvested in the communes of the designation, and then be vinified, distilled and aged within the appellation area.
On the label, the designation appears in the same field of vision as the word “Armagnac”, together with the words “appellation d'origine contrôlée”. An armagnac without a designation, on the other hand, may blend eaux-de-vie from across the whole area: this is not a sign of lower quality, but the choice of a broader blend. To read the rest of the label, including age and the VS, VSOP or XO categories, see our guide VS, VSOP, XO and Hors d'Âge.
Terroir in the glass: a guide, not a rule
Delicate and fruity in Bas-Armagnac, more full-bodied in Ténarèze: these tendencies help you find your bearings, but they do not tell the whole story. The specification points out that each producer makes use of the diversity of grape varieties according to the soils of their area and the style they are aiming for. The setting of the armagnac still, the choice of casks, the length of ageing and the work of the cellar master matter just as much as terroir.
The most telling approach is still to compare, at the same age, an armagnac from each area. Vintage armagnacs lend themselves well to this: they come from a single harvest and a single estate, and retain the imprint of their original terroir.
Frequently asked questions
What are the areas of the armagnac region?
The Armagnac appellation has three areas, running from west to east: Bas-Armagnac, Armagnac Ténarèze and Haut-Armagnac. They correspond to additional geographical designations within the AOC.
Where is the armagnac region?
In Gascony, in south-west France. The appellation area covers Gers, part of Landes and part of Lot-et-Garonne, between the Garonne, the Atlantic and the Pyrenees.
What is the capital of armagnac?
Eauze, in Gers, is presented by the trade body as the capital of Bas-Armagnac. The Bureau national interprofessionnel de l'armagnac is based there. Condom lies at the centre of Ténarèze, and Auch in Haut-Armagnac.
What is the difference between armagnac and Bas-Armagnac?
Bas-Armagnac is an armagnac whose grapes come from the communes in the west of the appellation, on the tawny sands. An armagnac with no further indication may blend eaux-de-vie from across the whole production area.
Which is the best armagnac terroir?
There is no official ranking between the three areas. Bas-Armagnac is the largest, Ténarèze often produces more full-bodied eaux-de-vie, and Haut-Armagnac has become rare. The best choice depends on the style you enjoy and on the estate.
To explore further, discover our XO and Hors d'Âge armagnacs or our cask-strength (brut de fût) armagnacs, bottled at their natural strength.
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