Darroze Domaine de Salié 1995 Bas-Armagnac

Darroze Domaine de Salié 1995 Bas-Armagnac is a single-estate, single-vintage Armagnac from the Darroze family, distilled in 1995 at Domaine de Salié in Le Frêche and bottled at its natural strength of 48.5% ABV in a 700ml bottle. The spirit spent about 27 years in oak before bottling. The estate lies in Le Frêche in the heart of the Grand Bas-Armagnac; Gilles Sarraute has farmed it organically since 2008. Darroze keeps every estate and vintage separate and does not reduce its Armagnacs with water, so each bottle reflects one property, one harvest and one cask selection. The label records the estate, the vintage and the bottling date, which together give the spirit's real age, since Armagnac stops ageing once it is in glass.

Nose: Candied apricot and quince, fig jam, liquorice, clove and black pepper.

Palate: Spice, fruit, honey and roasted almond over round, silky tannins.

Finish: Very long.

Serve: Neat in a tulip glass at room temperature, after a few minutes in the glass.