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, caskstrength Bas-Armagnacs. He now enjoys a welldeserved international reputation as "The Pope of Armagnac”, offering 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 the typicity and originality of its terroir and its uniquely adapted grape varieties. The base wines are fermented naturally and distillation occurs either at the estate of origin or at a respected mobile distiller. Armagnac is made with a single, continuous distillation which yields a fiery spirit that emphasizes the singular character of its origin. 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 Armagnacs are transferred to demijohns and their aging is arrested. The bottling date is shown on every label, indicating the length of barrel aging.