Château Arton wants you to rethink Armagnac
Armagnac isn't brandy, they say! But when Château Arton claims that Armagnac isn't brandy, what do they really mean? Patrick de Montal, who founded the estate with his wife Victoire de Montesquiou in 1979, notes that Armagnac is seemingly part of the world of brandy, but he feels that it is more a part of the culture and tradition of winemaking. More succinctly put, Armagnac is grown not produced. “We don’t produce Armagnac. We grow it exclusively from the wine that comes from our vines,” is how he puts it.
And he's got a point – Arton is located in the Haut-Armagnac region, which has a minuscule 68 hectares of vines out of the 5500+ total hectares of vines planted for Armagnac production. Over half of those 68 hectares of vines grow on the Arton estate. The soil here is composed of lightly-colored marly limestone with fine, siliceous clay-laden soil. There's something about this soil, this terroir, that leads to the creation of Armagnac that seems to mature more quickly than in other regions.
The Armagnacs from Arton will destroy your preconceived notions of requiring decades in oak to reach peak maturity. These are spirits that blossom after just a decade – a fraction of the time most people expect.
We're not just blowing smoke, we swear. In 2017, Château Arton was awarded the highest honor in France – the Prix d'Excellence from the French Ministry of Agriculture. Over 22,000 products were considered, and Château Arton was recognized for producing the best brandy – not just Armagnac – in the entire country. It was the first time in history that an Armagnac was selected for this prize. You're probably aware that France makes quite a bit of brandy, so that sort of recognition is pretty significant.
Patrick de Montal
“We don’t produce Armagnac. We grow it exclusively from the wine that comes from our own vines.”
— PATRICK DE MONTAL
Patrick de Montal's start in the industry was not as a producer but as a negociant – he crisscrossed the Bas-Armagnac and Ténarèze regions in search of hidden treasures to bottle, but quickly became disillusioned by the practices he frequently saw that went against his own values of artisanship and authenticity. As noted above, he did not want to "manufacture" Armagnac; he wanted to grow it.
From the moment the first vines were planted at Arton in 1981, the de Montal family has continued to prioritize their values above all else. The result is a spirit rooted both in tradition and innovation, with a quality that speaks for itself.
Château Arton expressions
Our offerings from Château Arton will change over time. At the moment, the following products are available:
Château Arton
La Réserve • Haut-Armagnac
Distilled from Ugni Blanc and Colombard grapes grown on the Arton estate, this blend of armagnac is aged for a minimum of 6 years. It is deliciously rich and pairs wonderfully with citrusy desserts and cigars.
Château Arton
La Flamme • Haut-Armagnac
Distilled from Ugni Blanc and Colombard grapes grown on the Arton estate, La Flamme is one of the jewels of Chateau Arton - a blend of cask strength single barrels from grapes harvested and distilled in 2011. Aged for 11 years in French oak.
Château Arton
Millésime 2010 Single Cask
This single cask Armagnac made from Colombard and Ugni Blanc grapes was aged for over ten years in Arton's cellars. Produced completely from estate grown grapes, Arton only bottles these millésime releases when the combination of terroir, weather, and wood produce an extraordinarily singular distillate.
Les Réserves d'Arton
Poire Ancienne
Les Réserves d'Arton Poire Ancienne is traditionally enjoyed chilled after dinner, though this spirit has recently been embraced by cocktail enthusiasts worldwide. Estate grown heirloom orchard pears are fermented and distilled to capture the purest expression of their essence. Ripe, juicy pears on the nose along with meyer lemon peel and vanilla. Spearmint and lemongrass complement the concentrated pear flavors on the palate.
Les Réserves d'Arton
Vieille Prune du Périgord
Les Réserves d'Arton Vieille Prune du Périgord is a marvelous plum brandy and showcases the flavors of the iconic black plum from Agen in the southwest of France. This plum, known as the "black gold of Aquitaine" has been celebrated throughout the world since the 16th century. Developed according to the ancestral tradition of the region, the spirit was slowly distilled before being aged 2 years in old black oak barrels that previously held Armagnac.
Château Arton
Fine Blanche • Haut-Armagnac
This is the original Blanche Armagnac. In 1982, Patrick de Montal first opted to bottle the freshly distilled wine coming from the still and called it Fine Blanche, as this was prior to being officially allowed to use the name Armagnac on the label. Years later, Arton started working with the French government to expand the AOC, and the official Blanche Armagnac designation was introduced in 2005.
PACKING INFO
Château Arton
Bottle Size: 700ml
Number of bottles per case: 6 bottles
Weight of a case: 8.27kg, 18.23lbs
BAR CODE: 726 670 331 618
Poire Ancienne
Bottle Size: 700ml
Number of bottles per case: 6 bottles
Weight of a case: 7.67kg, 17lbs
BAR CODE: 726 670 331 540
Vieille Prune du Périgord
Bottle Size: 700ml
Number of bottles per case: 6 bottles
Weight of a case: 8.27kg, 18.23lbs
BAR CODE: 726 670 000 000
Millésime 2010 Single Cask
Bottle Size: 700ml
Number of bottles per case: 6 bottles
Weight of a case: 7.67kg, 17lbs
BAR CODE: 726 670 331 540
La Flamme • Haut-Armagnac
Bottle Size: 700ml
Number of bottles per case: 6 bottles
Weight of a case: 7.67kg, 17lbs
BAR CODE: 726 670 331 540
La Réserve • Haut-Armagnac
Bottle Size: 700ml
Number of bottles per case: 6 bottles
Weight of a case: 7.67kg, 17lbs
BAR CODE: 726 670 331 540