HERITAGE

Since                  1899  

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The story of Prince de Gascogne begins in 1899 and runs through 5 generations of our family to this day.

A STORY

From father to son ...

The family establishment was born in 1899 from the passion of Jean-Baptiste Etchart, who, being an entrepreneur at heart, decided to found his own Armagnac brand after having worked for more than 20 years in a neighbouring company. Expressing the same devotion to their land, Jean-Baptiste and two of his friends founded the Planté Etchart Marcel house, named after the three partners. Since then, and still at the same location in Castelnau d’Auzan in the heart of Gascony, we have been carrying on the family business without interruption.
During the first few decades, shipments were made largely in barrels via the small local railway station and to a clientele of wine and alcohol merchants, mainly in the west and north of France. In 1928, Robert Etchart, son of Jean-Baptiste, continued the business alone under the name of Armagnac Etchart. In the 1930s, sales in bottles developed, thus contributing to the beginnings of exports. Robert then had the first two-storey cellar built, which is still in use today.
Histoire

JEAN-BAPTISTE, ROBERT AND JEAN ETCHART

... since 1899

   The company is taken over from 1945 by Jean Etchart, following his father. The 1960s and 1970s are particularly flourishing, and like the rest of the profession, the family business experiences an extremely prosperous period. The distillery, with up to six alambics, is built and the stock of ageing armagnac reaches its maximum with 1600 hl of pure alcohol.

   From 1970 onwards, Jean undertakes an important diversification by developing a range of liqueurs and fruits with armagnac. Today we still use these production formulas. It is while reading his grandfather’s letters and discovering his devotion to the traditions of his region, that the name Prince of Gascony was born.

   Since 1992, Jean-François Etchart, great-grandson of the founder and heir to his passion, keeps the traditions of the family house alive by putting at its service a unique savoir-faire, handed down from father to son for four generations.

Savoir-faire

A family tradition

   The finest, most generous and most authentic armagnacs are discovered in the Gers. This unique spirit matures in the shelter of cellars that are sometimes centuries old and develops a luxuriant variety of aromas until it reaches its elegant amber colour.

   The Etchart family continues the tradition initiated by Jean-Baptiste by carefully selecting the best armagnacs. Thanks to its knowledge of the region and its actors, whether they are winegrowers, owners or merchants, the family Maison It offers you armagnacs that reflect its image and the image of its production region, combining authenticity and simplicity, finesse and character, excellence and craftsmanship, and tradition and heritage.

Terroir

Gascony, at the crossroads of flavours and knowledge ...

   If Armagnac is such a generous spirit, it is due to the communion of three cultures. Firstly, the Roman culture, which brought the vine to the region; secondly, the Arab culture, which revealed the secrets of the alembic to the Gascons; and thirdly, the Celtic culture, from which the art of ageing in casks was learned.

   With a history dating back more than seven centuries, Armagnac is recognised as the oldest French brandy. Although it was originally a mysterious elixir, a water of immortality with therapeutic properties, the Gascons were quick to discover its secrets and found a real treasure at the end of their barrels.     

... between ocean and mountains

   In Armagnac, it is above all the diversity of soils and grape varieties that gives the brandy its unique properties. From this diversity, three terroirs are born: Haut-Armagnac, with its clay soils, Bas-Armagnac, with its tawny sands from the ocean, and Ténarèze, with its alternating clay and limestone soils.

   The Pyrenees, further south, provide the region with iron. The mild, temperate climate is conducive to the ripening of the grapes, whether they come from Ugni blanc, Baco, Folle blanche or Colombard, the four most widespread varieties.

Carte

Discover our products

Vintage armagnacs, armagnac blends, fruits and armagnac liqueurs, flocs de gascogne.

Contact

Prince de Gascogne

Société Française des Grands armagnacs

18 rue d'Artagnan

32 440 Castelnau d'Auzan, France