Armagnac is a grape brandy produced primarily from four grape varieties (Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, Baco 22A and Colombard), although 10 are permitted. Made in the Gascony region of France to the south of Bordeaux (split into three areas: Bas Armagnac, Tenareze and Haut Armagnac), it is distilled only once and often aged for many decades. Unlike their stately rivals from the demarcated Cognac district in the Charentes, Armagnacs are not brandies that enter a room quietly, politely. These are bawdy, door-busting brandies that snatch you by the lapels and keep your attention for extended periods by the force of their personalities. Armagnac is the Moll Flanders of the brandy realm.