Delamain Reserve de la Famille Grande Champagne Cognac is an exceedingly rare, unblended, single-cask Cognac distilled by one grower in the village of St.-Preuil. First released in 1984, it is the epitome of the Delamain style. The original feature of this Grande Champagne, until very recently strictly reserved for members of our family & their guests, is that it is not a blend, but an eau-de-vie from a single barrel & from a single estate. This cognac has benefitted from maximum barrel ageing, where by its alcoholic strength has dropped naturally, with only a simple adjustment to 43% vol. being required. The magnificent deep, old amber colour is typical of these extremely old cognacs. The bouquet is powerful & long, offering a harmony of fragrances, with floral touches, a rarity for such an old cognac. The mellow roundness on the palate reveals the maturity of the rich fruit. The bottle is appropriately dressed with a handmade, pure hemp paper label produced at the Moulin du Verger near Angoulame. Extraordinary delicacy in a rich, full flavoured cognac. ...

Delamain Tres Venerable Grande Champagne Cognac is blended from a range of Cognacs averaging 45 to 50 years of age, which have been reduced by natural evaporation to Approx. 45 percent alcohol by volume. It is brought to 40 percent consumption strength by the gradual addition of 'vieilles faibles, 'very old, weak Grande Champagne Cognacs showing a natural alcohol content of 15 percent. The unusual label design is taken from a French Revolutionary bank note. Introduced in 1976, this rare Cognac inspires the respect & reverence its name, & age, suggest. Brilliant deep topaz in colour with gold highlights, its profound, complex bouquet reveals subtle nuances of dried fruits, licorice & mellowed oak. An initial freshness & delicacy on the palate unfold into a rich, palette of mature flavours underscored by sophisticated 'rancio', notes of fruitcake & cheese. A Cognac of perfect balance with exceptional length on the finish. Extraordinary delicacy in a rich, full flavoured cognac. Floral spice aromas give way to complex scents of underwood, raisins, vanilla, licorice & honey. ...

Vesper, from the sixth canonical hour celebrated each late-afternoon in song, to reflect its richness & the worshipful sense it imparts. The Vesper has an average age of 35 year old, 100% Grande Champagne Cognac, from a selection local growers-distillers. Each cognac is aged seperately & longer than for the Pale & Dry, owing to their origin & then the blend itself, made at the end of the ageing period, & aged for two years more (marraige). Mutured in well seasoned Limousin oak casks & cellared ont he old cellars near the river, more humid than dry. A style of roundness, body, length, maturity & mellowness. A bouquet with the power of perfumes, a length of fragrance & suavity. Scents of underwood, dry vine shots & vanilla (rancio). ...

The House of Delamain proposes small batches of Vintage Cognacs. These are exceptional Cognacs with unique characteristics that evolved not only according to their soils of origin & best cellars to the exclusive breeding of these Cognacs. This cellar is strictly controlled by the BNIC. Year after year, Delamain selects bathces of young Cognacs issued from various estates in Grande Champagne. These Cognacs are accomadated in well-seasoned casks to protect their specificity of origin: finesse & elegance. They are then double-locked into the cellar. Every year, Delamain selects from this cellar small lots of old Cognacs, thirty-year-old at least. Situated in Jarnac, on the banks of the Charente river, it benefits from an ideal degree of hygrometry for the ageing of Cognacs. These Cognacs, available in very limited quantity, are references in terms of age & quality; they are dedicated to true connoisseurs who seek the unique distinction of wonderful & old Grande Champagne. ...

Soft, generous, spicy wine from this renowned appellation, with Grenache for fruit & body, & Syrah for elegance & structure. ...

With Syrah to the fore, this is full of berry fruit, violet, liquorice, & spices. It has a generous, rounded palate & a long, elegant finish. The fruit for Saint-Esprit comes from a small valley in the northern Ardeche, to the west of the river Rhone. The vineyards are south-facing granite, & hence particularly well suited to Syrah, as well as naturally low-yielding. The grapes were destemmed & then fermented for fifteen days in closed vats, with daily pumping over; temperature was limited to 28-30&176;C. Malolactic took place in stainless steel, & then thirty percent of the wine was racked to oak barrels while the rest remained in tank. ...

Deep, plum coloured hue with a classically Syrah nose. The wine is full of aromas of violets, liquorice & has a full, rounded palate with delicate tannins. ...

A fruity, medium-bodied Crozes, with aromas of cassis, plums & violets, a supple mouthfeel, & a fine mineral finish. ...

A fruity, medium-bodied Crozes, with aromas of cassis, plums & violets, a supple mouthfeel, & a fine mineral finish. ...

Crushed black fruit on the nose, dark cherries, blackberries & blackcurrants that carry onto the palate with added woody & smoky notes. Some spice, especially black pepper, adds complexity to the palate. Well balanced with a silky texture & a long finish. Press Revealing abundant notes of tar, cassis, black raspberries, tapenade & earth in its rich, full-bodied, stunning personality, it should drink well for 10-15 years.
- 92 points, The Wine Advocate, December 2011.
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