The house of Delord was established in 1893, so this 1993 vintage was produced in its centenary year!

After distillation Armagnac is matured in oak casks sourced from the local forests of Gascony and Limousin. Let us know if we need instructions for where to find your house or want us to leave your wine in the shed! Cognac is vast and global, it exports around 98% of its 180 million bottle production whereas Armagnac produces just 6 million about half of which is consumed in France. In 1972, thanks to some handy information brought in by Cognac Martell (then the owner of the Grand Marque), Janneau reintroduced the original method of distilling Armagnac, the Double Distillation method with pot stills, to the region. These unique stills produce a spirit that’s full of character, sometimes a little fiery in youth, but responds well to long-ageing in wood.The Distillery has produced this delightful Armagnac that has won six gold and six silver international spirit awards since its launch. It's initially matured in new barrels for three years, before being transferred over to older barrels. The spirit is double distilled through column stills, placed in oak casks, and left to mature for a quarter of a century.

The wine is distilled through a column still and placed in white oak casks for a minimum of ten years to comply with the “Hors d’ Age” requirements for XO Armagnac. It was distilled from four different grape varieties, Ugni Blanc, Colombard, Baco and Folle-Blanche before it was matured in oak barrels for 25 years. Previously, Delord had only released Armagnac at 40% ABV - so we're rather excited to see the difference that the additional strength imparts. The column is known as an alambic Armagnacais, with a maximum of 17 plates but often as few as four. TheMontesquiou family’s rootsin the Gascony region in France date back to the year 1040, when the area’s famous Armagnac brandy was first distilled for medicinal purposes (yeah, right… that old excuse).I recommend that this flavoursome Armagnac be enjoyed neat, perhaps with a cube or two of ice if you prefer. We're full of useful facts, just like this one: the 1996 vintage Armagnac from Château de Lacquy was made using 80% Baco and 20% Ugni Blanc grapes.

The Armagnac region produces 3 million bottles a year of brandy, compared to the 220 million produced in Cognac. Since alcohol evaporates faster than water, the alcohol degree is naturally reduced by an average of 0.In the early 1970’s Janneau recognised the importance of pot distillation and fought to reverse the legislation of 1903. Castarède then goes a step further and ages the fine spirit for another ten years in new oak casks, delivering one of the finest Armagnac’s available. Pot stills on the other hand, only capture ‘the heart’ of the distillation, producing a deeply fruity and smooth ‘Eau du vie’ that is more approachable when young. It's unusual in the region because it uses double-distillation for some of its brandies rather than classic single distillation in an alembic. This means that they are not tied to a single vineyard and have the freedom to source the best wines of the vintage from any of Armagnac’s three sub regions – favouring the best – Bas Armagnac and Ténarèze.

Prosper Delord, a cellar master and distiller, roamed the Armagnac region as a travelling distiller, creating Armagnac French brandy from white wine. This tasting set from Drinks by the Dram includes five 3cl samples of some truly fantastic Armagnacs. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. A single vintage Armagnac here from the legendary Janneau Armagnac house, distilled all the way back in 1950! Baron de Sigognac, 10-Year-Old, is best enjoyed neat but with a splash of water to release more aromas.Clés Des Ducs,or “The Keys of the Dukes,” is nestled in the heart of the Gers valley in the small village of Panjas, France. Castarède XO 20-Year-Old is best enjoyed neat, poured over ice or in a d’Artagnan cocktail with a cheeky brandied cherry. We're also full of less relevant but just as useful facts, just like this one: Dolly the Sheep was born in 1996, too. Taste a glimpse of the past with this incredible expression from the Janneau Armagnac house, distilled many, many moons ago in 1942! In the 1830s, many believed in the medicinal properties of Armagnac, and Castarède was ready to deliver to the masses.