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Armagnac Age Designations

Formerly, VS indicated that the youngest eau de vie in the blend was aged a minimum of 2 years in wood, VSOP indicated a minimum of 5 years, and XO indicated a minimum of 6 years. In 2013, the regulatory body that oversees the production of Armagnac simplified the age designations as follows:

Blanche Armagnac is an AOP designation created in 2005 for spirits that are bottled after three months in inert containers; the idea here is that the young spirit will be cheaper and therefore usable in cocktails.

VS or *** indicates that the spirit has been aged in cask for 1-3 years

VSOP or Napoleon indicates a minimum of 4-9 years

XO or Hors d’Age indicates a minimum of 10 years

Vintage indicates a minimum of 10 years of aging, and the date on the bottle indicates the year of harvest. Far more common in Armagnac, vintage bottlings showcase the particular characteristics of a vintage, as opposed to a consistent house style achieved through blending. In general, bad wine vintages are the best for Armagnac production.