Francis Darroze 1994 Domaine de Rieston 24yr Armagnac 750ml

The Darroze story begins with Jean Darroze and his celebrated restaurant in Villeneuve-de-Marsan, where a love of Gascon cuisine and its accompanying eaux-de-vie was passed to his son Francis. From the late 1960s, Francis began selecting, aging, and bottling exceptional single-estate finds under each producer's own name, a philosophy built on the idea that Armagnac should never be blended across properties or vintages, and that its alcohol should be allowed to fall naturally over years in barrel rather than be diluted with water. Marc, his son, joined him as a fellow treasure hunter and continues the same estate-by-estate approach today.

This bottling is drawn entirely from Domaine de Rieston, currently run by Jean-Luc Deyres, whose father Guy spent nearly forty years working the sandy soils of Bas-Armagnac before passing the estate down. The eau-de-vie was distilled from Baco in 1994 and matured for twenty-four years in oak before bottling, developing a golden color with bright reflections along the way.

The nose is inviting and richly fruity, with fig, prune, orange peel, and apricot layered together. On the palate, ripe stone fruit continues alongside toasted nut and a touch of black tea, moving into a long finish where fruit and wood settle into quiet balance.