This year has been our best year so far for new products and exciting new markets. Our range of customers has increased and now includes many overseas in countries as far away as China and Russia, as well as our Middle East Friends who have been active again in 2011. The increasing demand for our products proves again and again how customers seek pure naturally aged cognacs with age statements.

Of course, this also means that the need for greater depth of knowledge of cognacs and brandies has grown, and as from next year we will be introducing a different monthly mailing, which will include more opportunities for you to learn more about our wonderful brandies.

We hope that you will still enjoy reading about them!

What can we say about Delord, a wonderful producer of the finest armagnacs in the region? The firm has supplied consistently high quality armagnacs to Brandyclassics for nearly a decade and we have had nothing but praise for this fine firm. Based in Lannepax in the eastern side of Bas Armagnac, between Nogaro and Condom. Condom is geographically the central town of Armagnac, but Delord is based in the second cru known as Tenarèze.

The firm was founded in 1893 by Prosper Delord, a travelling distiller who fell in love with the wonderfully fruity eaux de vie of the region. The firm became known as Delord Brothers when his two sons, Gaston and Georges took over the distillery. They were equally passionate about the wonderful spirits they were able to make. More recently Jacques and Pierre Delord have continued the family traditions and have handed down to the current sons, Jerome and Sylvain, ensuring that the family traditions live on.

Grape varieties are the traditional Folle Blanche, Ugni Blanc and Colombard and they still use the old still of their forefathers which is only capable of producing around 30 litres of eau de vie an hour. But a look into their cellars reveals more than 700 x 350 litre barrels, that are home to armagnacs dating from the beginning of the last century.

Delord still use the basquaise flat green bottle, although most of their armagnacs are now shipped in the modern tall bottle, all with hand personalised labels. These armagnacs are all distilled at the lower end of the range and have the wonderfully pruney style.

Delord 20 y.o. Bas Armagnac

Although still quite small, Delord rank amongst the greats in Gascogne. Their distillation is around 60 degrees and this provides many of the traditional prune and fruit flavours of the region but also many of the rich nutty flavours of spirits distilled at a higher range. They are also small enough to have more individuality between vintages although all their armagnacs gain greater maturity with age.

Delord Vintage 1958 Bas Armagnac

One of the best from this wonderful producer. It has great fruit and rancio richness, it is both charming and voluptuous showing an intense dried prune quality.

 Christmas is an extremely busy period for everybody in the cognac industry. Distillation is now at its peak and there are more than 4000 producers who will be working to ensure that they get the very best from their grapes.

Much depends on their skills and years of experience. Every distillation will be different, since there are so many factors that can influence the quality of their eau de vie. This is also the time for trade fairs and many small firms will be attending to sell their cognacs all over France. Christmas lunch at a distiller will include regular checking of the stills.

Of course it will be many years before this years hard work is ready for sale as cognac, but more immediately the Eaux de Vie are for sale. For those of you that wish to sample the produce of more recent years vines, we sell a range of Eaux de Vie from Paul Devoille, Nusbaumer and F.Meyer

Paul Devoille - Eau de Vie de Vielle Prune

Prune brandy, a sweet prune eau de vie made with macerated fruits. These spirits are not aged in oak as are dark brandies.

Nusbaumer - Vielle Prune

Prune brandy. This is sweeter than other prune brandies being made from the dried prunes.

F Meyer - Grande Réserve - Mirabelle

Luxury plum eau de vie. This is stronger than normal and has a greater flavour in the spirit.

We probably wouldn’t be shouting about this cognac just yet but it is worth mentioning since it has just won a Masters medal at the Cognac Masters Competition.

The Cognac was distilled close to Ambleville in Grande Champagne and has been kept in damp cellars. The cognac has been aged in Limoursin oak barrels for more than 20 years and it has developed a lovely light citric and floral aroma with dry apricot and some honey flavours. It is a light coloured cognac with colours of light straw and gold providing a most unusual combination of finesse and delicacy.

There is very little of this precious cognac available with only about 600 litres left. This cognac provides a wonderful introduction to the cognacs produced in this region. It is an excellent example, displaying the characteristic common to cognacs produced in this area.  Our Score 9/10

This bottle sold so well that unfortunately we are now out of stock, but we have a very nice 1988 Chez Richon that you might like to try...

Cognac Hermitage 1988 Chez Richon Grande Champagne

The predominant house style of Chez Richon shows through in this cognac although it is rather sweeter and spicier than others from this house

Legend has it that one cold night Santa, being known as a man of great generosity and feeling great remorse at the duties of his reindeer, plied a quantity of brandy over some rich cake and gave it to his lead reindeer to keep him warm, resulting in a red nose.

The famous Christmas song Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer started life as a poem created by an American advertising executive called Robert May. He was requested to produce a poem that could be given away to children by the Santa Claus employed by Department Stores at Christmas! Working as an Advertising Executive, Robert May had a natural flair with words and was able to compose the Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer poem. This marketing ploy was a massive success and approximately 2.5 million Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer poems were given away in the first year of its publication!

In 1949 the singer Gene Autry recorded a musical version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer composed by Johnny Marks. In Athens officials say somebody added a little holiday spirit to the deer-crossing signs hereabout: red reflectors on the deer silhouette’s nose and, they assured, if you ever saw one, you would even say it glows. The culprits' identity is a Christmas season mystery that has piqued their curiosity.

Cognac goes from strength to strength

The last twelve months of the year have seen the most exciting period in the history of Cognac. The Cognac industry has seen unprecented growth in world markets at a time when it seems that the news is dominated with gloom and economic recession. Markets in China have grown by record levels and that is over last year which was also a record year. Indeed some distributors in China have even had to ration their supplies of cognac.

At Brandyclassics we to have seen good trading, not just in exports but also in the UK, where Pre-phylloxera sales have done well and our internet sales has also seen good growth. However our core business, sales to hotels and restaurants, has been affected by the economic gloom.

But  it's always good to finish the year on a high and this year we are pleased with our success at the Cognac Masters where we have won a total of five medals. These included three masters awards for our Hermitage 1988, 23 year old and 43 year old, as well as the Grand Masters award for outstanding contribution to cognac.

Hermitage Segonzac 43 y.o. Grande Champagne Cognac

Cognac Masters 2011 - Masters Award
This Grande Champagne cognac is probably one of the finest cognacs we have ever tasted. It is produced by a firm in the centre of cognac who produce from three vineyards in the very best parts of the cru. This exceptional vintage cognac is exclusively only available through Brandyclassics.