Francis Darroze Bas Armagnac Les Grands Assemblages 8 Ans 750ml

$109.48 price per bottle

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(86) With very little wood influence, this blend displays fruity aromas with notes of prune, candied orange zest and quince. Vibrant stone and berry fruit flavors with rich undertones and a seamless finish. Francis Darroze first developed his love for Armagnac while working as a sommelier in his family's two-star Michelin restaurant in Bas- Armagnac. In 1974, after years of sourcing the best Armagnacs for the restaurant, Francis began a new business as a producer and trader, specializing in single vintage, single estate, cask-strength Bas-Armagnacs. He now enjoys a well-deserved international reputation as The Pope of Armagnac, and offers an unparalleled range of bottlings from the finest domaines and vintages available. Francis and his son Marc, a trained oenologist, manage the Darroze portfolio which includes more than 250 different Armagnacs from 50 different vintages and 30 different estates. Darroze sources exclusively from the region once known as the Grand Bas-Armagnac. Each estate is selected for typicity, terroir and quality. The base wines are fermented naturally and distillation occurs either at the estate of origin or at a respected mobile distiller. Armagnac is made using a single, continuous distillation process which yields a fiery spirit that emphasizes the singular character of its origin. The diversity of crus, vintages, grape varieties and styles held in the family cellars allows Marc Darroze to create masterly blends known as Les Grands Assemblages. Chosen for their complementary characteristics, the selected Armagnacs in each blend are different ages. The age on each bottle indicates that of the youngest Armagnac in the blend. Each Grand Assemblage reveals the evolution of the spirit through aging in barrel and the resulting balance between alcohol, aromas and tannins. All the Darroze vintage Bas-Armagnacs (known as their Unique Collection) are aged in barrels more or less new depending on the tannins required for at least 10 years, which is the legal minimum. The optimal balance between flavor, tannin and alcohol is reached after 12 to 15 years, after which they are transferred to older barrels. After 50 years, the vintage Armagnac is transferred to demijohns. The bottling date is shown on every label, indicating the length of barrel aging.