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.

A Bas-Armagnac from the Busquet estate distilled in 1961 and bottled in 2011 by Darroze after being aged in oak cask for half a century. Busquet is a small estate in the village of Labastide d’’Armagnac. It produces outstanding Armagnacs in a tawny sand terroir.