Grande Champagne Cognac

About this wine

This Grande Champagne bottling is built from Ugni Blanc eaux de vie, distilled twice then aged slowly in well used oak to preserve delicate fruit and floral notes. On the nose expect lemon peel, orange zest, and white flowers alongside hints of dried apricot and toasted almond. The palate is focused and silky, showing citrus marmalade, baked pear, and a gentle spice that comes from long cellar ageing, with a measured oak presence rather than overt vanilla. Texture is refined and light to medium, with a persistent, clean finish that highlights acidity and mineral lift typical of Grande Champagne. Delamain sources only Grande Champagne eaux de vie and favours old casks and long maturation to keep clarity and finesse, a house practice that shapes this cognac’s restrained, elegant style.

About the grape

Ugni Blanc, also known as Trebbiano, is the principal white grape of Cognac and has been planted across Grande Champagne for centuries because it yields thin, high acid wines ideal for clean distillation. The variety is late ripening, vigorous and productive, and it thrives on Grande Champagne limestone soils which give eaux de vie strong aging potential. Producers like Delamain source Ugni Blanc from selected Grande Champagne vineyards and use those long lived distillates for extended maturation in old oak to emphasize the grape's structural and aromatic qualities.

Quick facts

• 🏞️ Delamain only uses eaux de vie from the Grande Champagne cru, so a bottle labelled 1860 is a pure expression of Cognac's top terroir.
• 🍇 The grape behind this cognac is Ugni Blanc, the same humble white grape that ages into perfumes so floral and rancio that collectors prize very old vintages.
• 🫧 Delamain bottles its cognacs without added sugar or coloring, so an 1860 vintage would show its age and colour purely from time in oak.
• 🏰 The house cellars sit on centuries old stone and a medieval crypt, those cool humid walls quietly shape the slow concentration that makes old Delamain cognacs unique.
• 💼 When Delamain has released blends containing 19th century eaux de vie the bottles become instant collector pieces, and special commemorative decanters have set auction records in recent years.

Palate profile

Producer

Delamain traces its origins to James Delamain who returned from Ireland to Jarnac in the mid 1700s and entered the local eaux de vie trade. The family established the formal House of Delamain in 1824 and over nine generations has specialised exclusively in Grande Champagne cognacs. The house is known for an artisanal approach, ageing eaux de vie for decades and focusing on XO and older expressions rather than younger bottlings. Delamain has preserved historic cellars and traditions while expanding internationally, and it celebrated its bicentenary with a series of special releases and events in 2024.