Domaine d’Arton, a signature of Gascony

Spirit Gers

Domaine d’Arton

A signature of Gascony

Interview of Patrick de Montal,
wine grower

Interview of Patrick de Montal, wine grower.

Domaine Arton draws its identity and values from the past. At the heart of the Gers, this land has been continuously cultivated during centuries as evidenced by the Roman coins found when the vineyard has been replanted.

Now, Arton spreads on a plateau over 40 hectares directed in the south towards the Pyrenees. The clay and limestone soil, filtering and fresh, enables us to propose a complete range of wines stemming from a palette of local and various varietals: Colombard, Sauvignon, Gros Manseng, Petit Manseng for the white wines and late harvest; Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon for the red and rosé wines, whereas Ugni Blanc is exclusively dedicated to the crafting of Château Arton, one of the rare AOC Haut-Armagnac, and Fine Blanche, our white Armagnac.

Which words would define your wines?

Passion, tradition, savoir-faire and diversity, these are the words that I would choose. The wines we vinify in the cellars of Domaine d'Arton combine our elders' savoir-faire and the best modern technology, thus giving birth to quality wines and brandies.

Diversity because our estate produces different quality wines but also Armagnac. Our specificity is to propose wines expressing the crispness of the fruit, yound and light wines, pleasant to drink. The many medals they have been awarded at the contest of Salon de l'Agriculture in Paris evidence their incredible success! But the keywords remain passion for our land and our wines!

You also produce Armagnac. What is its difference?

First of all, the production of Armagnac has been a risky challenge but we took it up thanks to our perseverance and savoir-faire. The success of its marketing restored the value of Armagnac by reestablishing the appellation Haut-Armagnac that disappeared after the phylloxera disaster in the end of the 19th century.

In terms of production, we take care to craft a good quality wine that we distil very early in the end of October which gives our eau-de-vie a beautiful freshness and good aromatic values. We also carefully watch over the quality of our barrels, beautiful pieces of 420 litres that are the Armagnac standards and which, associated to our savoir-faire and our care for the blends, enable us to propose a high end Armagnac, delectable, with notes of pear, ppper and spices.

A best-seller in your range of Haut-Armagnac Château Arton?

I have no best-seller in particular as to me they all are unique and have their own history. Our whole range is the fruit of a long work, a lot of care and the savoir-faire of enthusiast men.

As a fine connoisseur how would you recommend to enjoy your Armagnacs?

There are no rules to taste our Armagnancs, just some advices to take the best of the eau-de-vie. A paunchy glass to look at the colour is necessary. To open the bouquet, a bit of swirling will help reveal the intimacy of the beautiful Armagnac. Slowly take a sip, drop after drop, play with it on the tongue, like a caress. Then the memories and the imagination have to express to dilute time and compose the symphony of happiness. The aromas of a Havana cigar would underline the perfection of the moment.

Interview by Charlynne Zirah

— www.arton.fr —