The excellence of a fine ArmagnacMartine Lafitte had the privilege of celebrating the bicentenary of her estate last year, along with a hundred or so guests who came to commemorate the success of this treasured eau-de-vie. Armagnac is truly a vocation for the Lafitte family, whose members have unceasingly striven to develop this domain and preserve its characteristic qualities.
Located in the heart of Bas-Armagnac terroirs, in the Landes area, in Bastide d’Armagnac, the vineyard offers the finest land for its three grape varieties: Folle Blanche, Ugni Blanc and Colombard. Harvests are gathered by machine, with special tippers that enable juice to be collected on an interior plate. Two vats, of 30 and 40 hectolitres, enable blending to be carried out.
The estate has three vat houses. The Sier alembic was built by Mr Broustet: its “spider’s legs” plates allow alcohol vapours to steep in the wine. In the vat, vapours cool through a 62-metre long serpentine. The wine heats and then runs back along stacked plates. In a closed circuit, passing through the swan’s neck, follows the legendary process of continuous distillation, characteristic of Armagnac, which produces 52° of alcohol.
Bottling is carried out as orders are come in, because Armagnac can only age in casks. In the storehouse, time passes slowly, enhancing this priceless eau-de-vie, whose vapours exude and fill the air with their powerful scents …
“In 2007, when we produced thirty nine 400-litre casks; distillation lasted for three weeks. In 2006, it took only five days”, Martine Lafitte tells us. Changeable weather conditions in recent years have caused a good deal of anxiety for producers of the Folle Blanche, a fragile variety that “panics” easily. The consequence is a considerable variation in yields produced from one vintage to another. “For the bicentenary in 2007, we produced 70 hectolitres of pure Folle Blanche”, enthuses Martine Lafitte.
One can sense so many memories at Domaine Boingnères, it is suffused by the spirit of those who have left their mark here; ancestors of the Lafitte family and many illustrious visitors to this estate over the years. Martine Lafitte carefully keeps records in the visitor’s book, where signatures of legendary figures such as General de Gaulle and Prince Napoléon appear, or more recently, a contemporary personality, Pierre Perret.
It has taken many years and unceasing efforts for the Armagnac produced by Domaine de Boingnères to acquire the recognition upon which it can now pride itself. The estate’s Armagnac is distributed by representatives or sold by direct sales. Raymond Baudouin, founder of the ‘Académie du Vin de France’, greatly inspired the method of direct sales as of 1951, distributing this Armagnac to leading houses such as Pic or Vrinat…Amongst its portfolio of clients, Domaine de Boingnères counts five of the seven restaurants in Paris that boast three Michelin stars. In Bordeaux, this Armagnac can be found at the ‘Chapon fin’, the ‘Saint-James’ and ‘Château Cordeillan-Bages’…
Martine Lafitte regularly participates at meetings of the ‘Wine Professionals’ Club’, attended by the President of the French Sommelier Profession. The next meeting is to be held on 8th March 2008 in Nice. Meetings will subsequently take place in Strasbourg, Marseille, Lyon and Paris, in October. What do these meetings entail? During the course of a day, restaurateurs, sommeliers, wine boutique managers or owners, buyers, etc meet to taste products made in all the winegrowing regions of France. It is a perfect way to gain a better awareness of a wide range of products. These meetings are also coordinated in partnership with the Sommelier School based in Béziers; every two years pupils of this establishment attend in order to further their knowledge and discover different wine areas.
Such patience and perseverance deserve a tasting worthy of this fine Armagnac, whether it is a blend of noble varieties or pure Folle Blanche. The aromas of ‘non-réduit’1 Armagnac should be inhaled several times before whetting the tongue with a few drops and then swallowing; this is how one can perceive aromas of prune, violet or quince and on the palate feel the sensation of elegance and distinction on the finish. Tips from the expert tell us that young Armagnac can be served as an aperitif on ice, as an after-dinner drink, or as a cocktail, mixed with grapefruit cordial and Perrier water.
1 Armagnac that maintains its natural degree of alcohol, because it is bottled directly from the barrel without any reduction
Domaine Boingnères
EARL Lafitte
40240 La Bastide d’Armagnac
Tel: 05 58 44 80 28
Fax: 05 58 44 69 71
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