DARROZE Bas-Armagnac "Les Grands Assemblages" 50 years - 70cl

Wine Region: Armagnac - France

Grape: Folle Blanche

Tasting notes: The age of reason. According to the freshness and the balance of Armagnacs of this age, it is sometimes time, at the end of 50 years, to stop the barrel ageing. However, the use of barrels that have been exhausted of their tannins over many years in contact with the eau de vie is still possible. The aromas of chocolate, leather and roasted notes are characteristic of these very old Eaux de vie.

About the winery:
As the son of acclaimed chef Jean Darroze, Francis had a natural inclination to the culinary arts and a taste for tradition and authenticity. He channelled this into a passioned search for quality individual estate Armagnacs, starting as a trader and producer of vintage Bas-Armagnacs in 1974. With the utmost respect for the spirit, alcohol levels are reduced through years of evaporation through ageing — never through dilution with water. Blending and colouring agents are also prohibited. And to prolong the ageing process, the Armagnac is only bottled when ordered. The business is now in the hands of Francis' son Marc, a trained oenologist.

For several generations, the Darroze family has scoured Gascony in the Grands Crus centre of the Bas Armagnac region. Thousands of centuries-old treasures are held in stock at the Darroze house. This diversity in crus, vintages, grape varieties and styles has allowed Marc Darroze to work on this range known as « Les Grands Assemblages » (The Great Blends). Chosen for their complementary characteristics, the selected Armagnacs in each blend are of different ages. Each age on the bottle indicates the age of the youngest Armagnac in the blend.