The art of Delamain resides in the careful selection, aging, and blending of the best Cognacs from Grande Champagne, with the aim of achieving a final blend in which balance and elegance are expressed in a unique character. The Extra Vieux from Grande Champagne displays deep maturity and a powerful, balanced, and classy body. It is the perfect expression of an old Cognac from Grande Champagne. The bottle's coat of arms comes from a plate produced by Henry Delamain in 1762 at his factory in Dublin for the wedding of his nephew James Delamain with Marie Ranson. The coat of arms bears the intertwined arms of the Ranson and Delamain families. James Delamain's wedding took place in Jarnac on November 24, 1762, marking the beginning of Delamain's relationship with the Cognac trade. Composed of Cognacs much older than the Pale & Dry and Vesper. Each Cognac used in the blend ages separately according to its own characteristics. The final blend will age for an additional 18/24 months (marriage) while its alcohol content is reduced with the faibles. THE DELAMAIN METHOD The Selection Delamain's perfectionist concept can only find its reason for being among the best crus of Cognac: Grande Champagne; from which the cellar sources its best micro-terroirs. No contracts; all purchases are made after rigorous tastings at the homes of the owners, who distill and begin aging their Cognacs following Delamain's instructions for centuries. The Aging Process The cellar has banned the use of new oak barrels to avoid excessive tannin, which would contribute to hardening the spirit and deteriorating its original elegance. Delamain Cognacs age in old French oak barrels called "roux," which have a capacity of 350 liters, resulting in a longer aging process compared to common practices. The Cellar The aging of Cognacs takes place under ideal hygrometric conditions in the old cellars owned by the distillery, located on the banks of the Charente River. The Blending Process After aging, only Cognacs of similar age are blended: a young spirit combined with a very old one "disturbs" it to the detriment of the quality of the final product. The Marriage After blending, the final blend will remain in the barrels for another two years to achieve perfect harmony. The Reduction This is when the delicate operation of "reduction" takes place. No precautions are spared: the use of "faibles" (old Cognacs reduced to 15% alcohol), introduced slowly and in stages. This ensures better control of the blend and avoids the risk of "breaking" the spirit. Subsequently, the blend is filtered and bottled. The Finishing Touches Every detail is taken care of: Each bottle is rinsed with Cognac before bottling, labels and high-quality wax seals are applied by hand. Before being placed in its case, each bottle is carefully inspected.