Who hasn't heard of the chef Jean Darroze? An emblematic figure of Landes gastronomy, this south-western chef has passed on his passion for cooking, fine wine, and local spirits to his son Francis Darroze. The latter quickly developed a sophisticated palate and, from the 1950s, began searching for lesser well-known Armagnacs. This project went so well that, in the 1970s, he had a cellar dedicated to ageing built. Next in line was his son, Marc, who continued this tradition of seeking liquid gold – this collection is now available at iDealwine.

An Armagnac distilled in 1965 at the De Peyrot estate by Mr Saint Martin and bottled by Francis Darroze in 2003. The estate is owned by Mr and Mrs Journet. Located in Bas-Armagnac, it spans some five hectares of boulbène soil (sand and clay) planted with Baco and Ugni Blanc grapes.