Your visit starts in the central pathway from where you can admire the buildings comprising the central site of the Domaine d’Ognoas, the historic seat of the former manor.
On your right, closing the courtyard to the north, an attractive building dating back to the 18th houses the “chai des Anges” wine cellar, the press used at harvest time, the vinification vats and the vats used to store the “flocs” and brandies.
To your left, you can see a house which served as the summer residence of the Bishop of Aire-sur-l’Adour.
Build under the administration of the Bishop of Aire-sur-l’Adour, the Bishop’s house served from 1918 to the end of the 1980s as a home to the residents of the Sainte-Anne de Mont-de-Marsan hospital placed in foster care on the Domaine d’Ognoas. As the vineyard continued to develop and the patients began to leave, the house was taken over by the reception staff who would only move into the current premises after the first renovation work was undertaken on the fortified house in 1991. It is now disused. The porch opposite you leads to the attractive corner staircase tower dating back to the Renaissance in this L-shaped brick residence: the fortified house.
The house was built on a natural plateau overlooking the River Midou to the west.
Towards the end of the 15th century, the fortified house was transformed into a more comfortable residence the highlight of which is the polygonal staircase tower and its lavishly decorated doorway. The property had the appearance of manor houses built in France between the 15th and 16th centuries. This building houses the reception, the boutique and the tasting cellar as well as the Quercus cellar where our Armagnacs complete the final stage of the process before being bottled and transported to the boutique, a number of renowned hotels and restaurants (Hôtel Crillon in Paris, Hôtel du Palais in Biarritz, etc.) and other destinations abroad.
Turn right and follow the covered passageway of the former silos to enjoy the Ognoas panorama.
To the left and right, the Domaine d’Ognoas stretches as far as the eye can see. Ahead, you can see the meanders of the River Midou which serve as the estate’s natural boundary. Thirteen kilometres (8 miles) separate the estate’s northernmost and southernmost points. Let us now discover the gem of the estate: the 1804 still, designated a historic monument. Retrace your steps and turn left after the silos towards the covered passage which leads to the distillery and its old wine cellar, or “chai antique”, on the left and the “chai des Anges” on the right.
Designated a historic monument, the 1804 still is housed in the distillery.
Records of brandy production at Ognoas date as far back as the 1780s. The Ognoas still is one of those designed in Armagnac in the early years of the 19th century calling on the technique of continuous distillation. It is fitted with “spider’s legs” plates, an improvement ascribed to the Sier family. It has never been out of service since it was first built, making it the oldest working still in Gascony.br /> You can also see an old travelling still from 1936, which has been fixed to the ground since 1999. Together with the 1804 still, it is used to distil some of the 500 hl of brandy between the beginning of November and the beginning of December.
A mysterious alchemy called “la part des anges” (the angels’ share) refers to the evaporation of part of the brandy and the reduction in the alcohol content through the oak barrel. Over time, the Armagnac becomes darker and darker, the aromas of vanilla, prune and dried fruits become more pronounced and the alcohol content falls due to evaporation.
These cellars hold the youngest brandies which are stored for 5 years in new barrels before being transferred to barrels which have already exhausted their tannins.
A mysterious alchemy called “la part des anges” (the angels’ share) refers to the evaporation of part of the brandy and the reduction in the alcohol content through the oak barrel. Over time, the Armagnac becomes darker and darker, the aromas of vanilla, prune and dried fruits become more pronounced and the alcohol content falls due to evaporation.
These cellars hold the youngest brandies which are stored for 5 years in new barrels before being transferred to barrels which have already exhausted their tannins.
Your virtual tour ends here, but the visit is not over. We invite you to meet us in the property so that we can chat, visit the property together and taste one or two Armagnacs or “Flocs de Gascogne”. Switch off your screens and pass through the magnificent Renaissance doorway just as the lords of Ognoas once did.
