Delord 25 Year Old Bas Armagnac

PRODUCER NOTES:

TASTING: “Elegant on the nose, with its peppery and spicy notes, it is on the palate that it reveals all its complexity.”

HISTORY: Founded in 1893, the Delord family has been producing Armagnac over four generations.

VINEYARD: “Our 66-hectare vineyard, of which 6 hectares are organic, is divided into 7 parcels, and is located in the commune of Lannepax. It is made up of the four traditional Armagnac grape varieties: Ugni Blanc 58%, Colombard 16%, Folle-Blanche 14% and Baco 12%. All year round, Rinaldo, the vineyard manager, takes the greatest of care of the vines throughout their development.”

WINEMAKING: “The four grape varieties are harvested, pressed and vinified separately in a winemaking cellar, a few metres from the distillery. Temperature control, must settling and racking are all techniques well mastered by Sylvain Delord. He is looking for an aromatic wine that is slightly acidic and low in alcohol which is the ideal wine for the distillation.”

DISTILLATION: "The distillery is in Lannepax, the family’s native village. The distillation, an essential and fascinating step in the creation of Armagnac takes place in the heart of winter. We are one of the only Armagnac houses using the two methods of distillation; the continuous distillation method that is typical for Armagnac and the double distillation. Our two Armagnac alambics, one of which is a « Sier » dating from 1900, are both column stills equipped with particular plates called “spider plates » which are ideal for the production of old Armagnacs. The two « double distillation » stills produce fruity eaux-de-vie destined for young Armagnacs.

AGING: “Our cellars with more than 1000 barrels and a dozen oak tanks that age and protect the Armagnac eaux-de-vie date from the 20th century to the present day. The oldest vintages are kept in Bonbonnes (glass jars) away from the light, in a room called Paradise.”