Baron De Sigognac 10 ans (700 ml)

At Château de Bordeneuve, the Guasch family operates one of Armagnac's rarest vertically integrated estates — vineyards, a 1921 copper alembic armagnacais, ageing cellars, and bottling line all under one roof, a configuration that gives Jean-Claude and Thomas Guasch complete control over every aromatic decision. That 1921 continuous still is the technical key: a single-pass distillation at approximately 56% ABV preserves far more congeners than Cognac's double-distillation method, locking in the raw aromatic material that a decade of oak will slowly resolve. The estate sits on sables fauves — the tawny sandy soils that define Bas-Armagnac's most prestigious terroir near Eauze — which drain freely, stress the vines gently, and consistently yield fruit-forward, texturally supple distillates. The 50% Baco / 50% Ugni Blanc blend is a deliberate transgression: Baco, a hybrid variety now largely restricted to Armagnac, delivers the house's signature richness and depth of fruit, while Ugni Blanc contributes structural acidity. After 10 years in French oak (Limousin and Vosges forest cited for estate expressions), the spirit reaches 40% ABV with dried stone fruit, toasted oak, and the early emergence of rancio character. The use of Baco — increasingly rare as producers shift to all-Ugni Blanc — is what separates this fruit profile from any Cognac or Ténarèze counterpart. Approachable now, with the structure to develop further over several years in bottle.