One sings, the other does too

Some people leave cookies for Santa Claus; others leave a little brandy. My father used to soak cookies -- Pecan Sandies, to be exact -- in Cognac, but then he ate them, slowly, with a fork, rather than leaving them for Santa, in whom he did not believe.

But for those who do, and who further believe that Santa is a bon vivant, brandy is an essential flavor of the season. It puts the pizazz into eggnog and warms up cookies, cakes and hard sauces. And nothing signifies Christmas cheer like a glass of brandy twinkling in the firelight.

Since it is, after all, the season, splurging is in order. Don’t just make it any old brandy; go for the best. That could mean only one thing: Cognac.

Or is it Armagnac?

Four out of five foodies surveyed actually said they prefer Armagnac. These data were compiled not through a structured tasting -- in fact, it couldn’t have been less scientific -- but rather by ambling around the Food section asking those writers who happened to be at their desks, Which is better, Cognac or Armagnac?

None took more than a nanosecond to answer. “Armagnac,” “Armagnac,” “Armagnac,” “Cognac,” they barked. “Armagnac.” It felt like a liquid duck-duck-goose.

There was one lone voice, a writer who refused to commit to one or the other. “They’re different,” she ventured brightly. And I have to say, after several tastings, and having spent just about every spare moment ruminating over a glass of one or the other, that I’m with her.

It’s commonly said that Armagnac is more soulful, more profound than Cognac. That you have to be over 40 to appreciate Armagnac.

That may be true. But the best Cognacs have unequaled elegance, amazing finesse. And these days, you can easily find Cognacs with plenty of character from smaller producers.

The regions that produce the two brandies are not too far apart geographically. Both are in southwest France -- Cognac north of Bordeaux, and Armagnac inland, southeast of Bordeaux. The eaux de vie, or brandies, of both regions are distilled from wine, and both are aged in oak (white oak in Cognac, black oak in Armagnac), but they’re distilled using two different processes.

Is one better than the other? Is velvet better than silk? Is an ocean better than a lake?

Both brandies, at their best, are smooth spirits with caramel flavors and beguiling textures. Armagnacs tend to be rounder, fuller, earthier, fruitier. The best prunes in the world come from Agen, not too far from Armagnac, and the brandy has a similar late-summer fruit ripeness. Cognacs are silkier, more elegant, more refined, with more high notes.

Though usually they’re sipped after dinner, I was surprised in tasting them again and again this season at how often both suggested food. One Cognac seemed to beg for a baked ham glazed with orange. An Armagnac cried out for foie gras. I spied a plateful of candied orange peels dipped in dark chocolate: Cognac, definitely.

In Cognac, wine fated to become brandy is distilled twice in copper pot stills. During each distillation, the “head” and “tail” of the distillate are removed, leaving just the “heart.” The resulting brandy is known for its elegance and balance.

In Armagnac, the wine is distilled only once, in what’s known as a continuous still. It is said that the single distillation retains more of the wine’s fruit character than does Cognac’s double distillation. In Armagnac’s continuous process, the heads and tails are distilled back into the spirit, adding, so they say, complexity. The pride of the region is its vintage Armagnacs, an idea the Cognacais decry as silly.

If you visit Cognac and Armagnac, you can see and feel that the differences in the two brandies are reflected in the ambience of the regions themselves.

Contrasting styles

Cognac is a spiffed-up medieval town with a meticulously restored old city; you can sense money everywhere. Since a huge amount of Cognac evaporates during distillation, what’s known as the part des anges, or angels’ share, infuses the air and allegedly slows down life for the Cognacais (who, along with the rest of the inhabitants of the Charentes region, are therefore affectionately known as cagouillards, or snails). The place feels so poetic that it’s not hard to believe the people are inhaling something magical.

Armagnac, a region that is part of Gascony, is much more rustic, known for its bastides, half-timbered medieval villages organized around central squares. Mostly they feel really old, and if they’ve been restored, there’s nothing precious about the restorations. It’s a place that feels ancient and earthy, almost a little gritty; and the people are like that too. Those qualities are played out in the brandy, which has the reputation of being a bit more rough around the edges than Cognac. The region is made up of three crus, Bas-Armagnac, Armagnac-Tenareze and Haut-Armagnac.

Since it’s inland and it has no port, Armagnac, whose brandy dates to the 15th century, never had the worldwide exposure of Cognac; its production is a small fraction of Cognac’s. No doubt its relative obscurity accounts, at least partly, for Armagnac’s mystique.

Though the major Cognac producers -- Remy Martin, Courvoisier, Martel and so on -- are household names, who has ever heard of Chateau de Laubade or Cerbois or Darroze? These are some of the best-known Armagnac producers.

Rare though they are, you can find them here, and they’re often wonderful. They don’t come cheap. A 1979 Chateau de Ravignan costs $80. Deep chestnut in color, it’s mouth-fillingly round, lush and amazingly long. This one made me yearn for a prune stuffed with foie gras.

Unlike most of the Armagnacs on the market, which come from Bas-Armagnac, the region’s top cru, the $40 Chateau de Pellehaut Reserve, is from Tenareze. Take a long, luxurious whiff. It smells like a gorgeous Italian plum tart -- or is it fig? -- with lovely vanilla and ginger notes and a smooth texture. Who wouldn’t welcome a bottle of this on the shelf?

A reserve speciale Bas-Armagnac from Francis Darroze, $60, has a bright nose, with floral notes and lots of pretty fruit: pear and mirabelle, with an intriguing almondy thing going on. It’s a delightful brandy to loll about with, taking a nice, leisurely sniff now and again.

As for Cognac, a number of less-known producers are putting out wonderful bottlings, and many cost considerably less than a Remy XO (which sells for about $76 for 375 milliliters, or $100 for 750 milliliters).

The Cognac spectrum

Most Cognacs are blends, distilled from wine made from grapes from the area’s various crus, including Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, Fins Bois and others. Gabriel Andreu offers single- estate Cognacs that spotlight, say, Grande Champagne or Fins Bois. The Borderies bottling, at about $42, shows cedar and a little pine resin on the nose before it opens up, then pears and hazelnuts. The elegant flavors play at the front of the mouth.

Another house, Pierre Ferrand, specializes in long-aged Cognacs. Its entire line is wonderful; some bottlings are even available in better supermarkets, such as Bristol Farms. Its Selection des Anges, about $36 for 375 milliliters, is particularly nice -- warm and inviting, with lovely floral aromas and honeyed, caramelly flavors.

Still other Cognacs, such as Frapin or Jean Fillioux, offer spirits with considerably more character than what you’d find at a similar price from one of the larger houses. Fillioux’s Vieille Grande Champagne (about $70) has a classic Cognac nose, sparkling bright but burnished too, with lots of wonderful honey and caramel on the ultra-smooth palate.

Better known is Delamain. Though its Cognacs don’t display the kind of individual character of some of the other small producers’ bottlings, they are still classics. I found (at Wine and Liquor Depot in Van Nuys) a $90 gift box of three 200-milliliter bottles, including Grande Champagne Vesper (very, very smooth), XO (caramelly, with a little more fruit character) and Tres Venerable Cognac de Grande Champagne (a lovely herbal nose and great finesse).

Although pricey Armagnacs and small-producer Cognacs are treasured by aficionados, you don’t have to go to eau de vie grad school to enjoy them. But a tip from the experts is worth passing on: The snifter we’ve come to know and love is totally wrong for these brandies. The huge surface area of spirit that’s exposed gets too volatilized; much of the nuance in the aromas is lost. Instead, the best vessel is narrow, similar to a Sherry glass, but flared a little at the top. (Riedel Vinum makes a nice one for about $13 a stem.)

So what’s better, Cognac or Armagnac? Is a duck better than a goose?

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A buyer’s guide to the brandies

Armagnacs and small-producer Cognacs are available at fine wine and liquor shops, including Wine House and Wally’s in West L.A., Wine and Liquor Depot in Van Nuys, the Wine Country in Signal Hill, and Beverages and More. Since prices vary wildly (those shown below are averages), it’s best to shop around. All prices are for 750-milliter bottles unless otherwise indicated.

Cognac Pierre Ferrand Selection des Anges. Warm and inviting, with apple and pear aromas and complex caramel flavors. Impressive length. Available at Wine House and the Wine Country, about $36 (375 milliliters) or $100 (750 milliliters).

Gabriel & Andreu Single-

Estate Cognac Borderies. Cedar and pine resin nose, very smooth. Available at Wine House, about $42.

Jean Fillioux “La Pouyade” Cognac Vieille Grande Champagne. Delicate nose, with bright but burnished fruit and warm caramel flavors. Available at Wine and Liquor Depot and Wally’s, about $50.

Jean Fillioux Tres Vieille Grande Champagne Cognac. Fragrant with warm apples and vanilla; velvety on the palate. Available at Wine and Liquor Depot, about $70.

Delamain Cognac Grande Champagne Vesper. Classic Cognac aromas; this one’s all about the ultra-smooth texture. Available at Vendome in Studio City and the Wine Country, about $110.

Delamain XO Cognac Grande Champagne. Gentle caramel nose, very smooth and silky. Available at Wine and Liquor Depot and the Wine Country, about $82.

Delamain Tres Venerable Cognac de Grande Champagne. Gorgeous aromas of dried apple, jasmine and cedar. Complex and silky, with a long finish. Available at Wine and Liquor Depot and Beverages and More, about $200.

Chateau de Laubade VSOP Bas-Armagnac. Vanilla and hazelnut nose; earthy and pleasant, if a little rough. Available at Wine and Liquor Depot and the Wine Country, about $35.

Chateau de Pellehaut Reserve Armagnac Tenareze. Beautiful plum tart aromas with hints of fig, vanilla and ginger. Delicious. Available at Wine House and the Wine Country, about $41.

Francis Darroze Bas-

Armagnac Reserve Speciale. Pretty pear and almond aromas. Bright honeyed fruit on the palate -- mirabelle? Santa Rosa plum? Available at Wine and Liquor Depot, about $60.

1979 Chateau de Ravignan Bas-Armagnac. Lots of ripe late-summer fruit and serious caramel. Velvety and complex, with tremendous length. Available at Wine House, about $80.

-- Leslie Brenner