Located in Condom, at the heart of Tenareze, Domaine de La Poste belongs to the Faget family. Spread over about 60 hectares of clay-limestone soils, it supplied Darroze with several armagnacs, especially during the 1970s. This tasting brings together four single-vintage bottlings from 1973 to 1976 (2022 bottlings) to explore how time and cask evolution shaped the expression of this domaine. Let’s go!
Darroze Domaine de La Poste 1973 48%
Colour: Mahogany with red lights. Irregular heavy tears.
Nose: Inviting nutty tones at first. Heady citrus notes on orange blossom. A wild fruitiness reminds me of very old Bons Bois cognacs ( intense fruitiness without the chalky structure). Strong empyreumatic profile with burnt wood and classic Bourbon-like undertones, typical of Tenareze (sweet woody notes, violet perfume).
Palate: Thick texture with a slight acidity in the aftertaste. Intense cocoa and liquid chocolate notes, recalling Dartigalongue 1993 Folle Blanche but with more delicacy. Warm spices on nutmeg and caraway.
Last Notes: Balsamic shades appear with air, alongside raspberry pie and persistent citrus notes. Ends on rooibos-like tea-ish aromas. The fruitiness again feels very Bons Bois-like.
A bold expression of Tenareze with an appealing style, though it lacks a bit of depth and balance to go higher.
89/100
#2
Darroze Domaine de La Poste 1974 48%
Colour: Dark amber with golden lights. Irregular heavy tears.
Nose: Perceptible richness on nutty notes and vanilla cream. Obvious roundness, slightly waxy texture. Candied citrus in the background, though with less depth than the 1973.
Palate: Thick texture with a persistent bitterness in the aftertaste. Heavy tannins. Creamy nutty aromas as on the nose, with Bourbon vanilla and heathery notes.
Last Notes: The oak feels less integrated, slightly dominating the spirit. The profile leans toward heaviness, where a fresher balance could have elevated it.
A more tannic, oak-driven vintage, where I was expecting something a bit more spirit-driven (which is often fabulous with Tenareze).
85+/100
#3
Darroze Domaine de La Poste 1975 48%
Colour: Dark amber with golden lights. Irregular heavy tears.
Nose: Cooked fruit and resinous tones remind me a bit of a 20–30yo Bois Ordinaires cognac. Chocolate and toffee dominate, with an empyreumatic character closer to 1973 but less Bourbon-like.
Palate: Thick texture, rich chocolate development, fresh citrus lift. Ends on dark chocolate and prune tart.
Last Notes: Dry floral and potpourri tones. Still chocolate-forward, with hints of menthol, quince, and baked apple. Finishes on toffee and madeleine cake.
I miss a tad of balance and depth with this one. However, nice kind of very old Tenareze.
87+/100
#4
Darroze Domaine de La Poste 1976 48%
Colour: Dark amber with orange lights. Irregular heavy tears.
Nose: Dominated by wood and spice from the start. Dusty shades, strong tannins. Coconut powder, caramelized orange zest, and even a touch of Demerara rum character.
Palate: Heavy empyreumatic tones balanced by herbal notes (infused sage). The chocolate spectrum is again prominent. Some freshness in the aftertaste with plum eau-de-vie and orange zest.
Last Notes: Still slightly dusty with air. Strong tannins, warm spices (zan, paprika, cumin). A hint of oxidized Port shades and a finish on cherry sweets and dark chocolate.
The boldest and most tannic of the four. Lacking precision and balance, but its structure may appeal to lovers of powerful armagnacs.
86+/100
4 interesting 45yo+ Tenareze armagnacs. Undeniable quality for all of them, but one is way above the others, especially in terms of precision.
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