Heavenly Spirits
Importers of Exceptional French Spirits
Bas Armagnac DeLord
Born in 1875, Prosper Delord started the company as an itinerant distiller. He gained a reputation for his dedication and expertise by carting his traveling pot still around to the farms in the Bas Armagnac region. When his son Gaston took over in 1925 he officially founded the company name and established the business as a permanent site in Lannepax.
Today, great grandsons Jerome and Sylvain carry on the same tradition, having established a reputation for quality that is unsurpassed. Owners of a prime 20 hectare vineyard in the heart of the Bas Armagnac, (widely known as the 1st Cru), they have been distilling, ageing and blending their eaux-de-vie the exact same way their great-grandfather did. Their ageing cellars contain Armagnacs dating back to 1904. When touring the distillery and ageing cellars, it feels as if time has stopped and you almost expect to see grandfather Prosper, coming around the corner
pulling his itinerant pot still with the help of his two cows.
Technical information :
- Use of high quality fruit, harvested from the best sandy soils of the Bas Armagnac.
- No use of pesticides or fertilizers.
- A good use of the grape varietals : 70% Ugni blanc (gives a good foundation), 20% Bacco (gives roundness), 5% Colombard (herbal aromas) and 5% Folle Blanche (floral notes).
- A particularly slow single distillation process.
- A distillation at low temperature (around 52 to 58 degre), which enables more flavors, fatty acids and character to remain in the spirit.
- Use of 10% Gascon oak to give good tannins, darker color and beautiful spices.
- More ageing than required by law.
Tasting notes :
Napoleon : min. 10 years old.
Woody nose with hints of “rancio” to come. Discreet
aromas of vanilla and fruit are satisfying and smooth.
XO : min. 15 years old.
This exceptional Hors d’Age displays a masterful
balance of ripe fruit, wood and buttery orange
pound cake. Smooth and deep with a wealth of rancio.
25 years old :
This superb blend displays flavors or cocoa, spices,
vanilla, raisins, walnut and cinnamon. Its finish is long,
silky and biscuity
Heritage : min. 40 years old.
this artfully produced Armagnac exhales its opulent and
woody “rancio” with aromas of vanilla and pitted plum.
Mr Delord’s dedication and skill is exquisitely evident.
What the reviews say...
Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2011 - 25 Year Old - top score, Chairman's Trophy
Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2010
- Napoleon: 91 points / Excellent
- XO: 92 points / Excellent
Wine Enthusiast 2006 & 2007 :
- 25 years old : Top 10 Best Armagnacs
- 25 years old : Top 50 Best Spirits 2006
- Napoleon : Superb / Highly Recommended / Best Buy
- XO : Superb / Highly Recommended
- 25 years old : 5 stars / Highest Recommendation / Best Buy
Beverage Testing Institute, Chicago :
- Napoleon : Gold Medal, 94, Outstanding, Best Buy
Spirit Journal 2006 :
- Napoleon 10 years old : 4 stars / Best Buy
- XO 15 years old : 4 stars
- 25 years old : 5 stars / Highest Recommendation / Best Buy
Spirit Journal 1999 :
- Heritage 40 years old : 5 stars
- Heritage 40 years old : SJ Top 100 in 2004
New York Times :
- XO 15 years : 4 1/2 stars (Doug Frost / Tim Fish)
Concours des Grandes Eaux de Vie d’Armagnac 2006:
- 25 years old : Gold Medal Prix du President de la Republique
- Delord 1980 : Gold Medal
Concours des Grandes Eaux de Vie d’Armagnac 2008:
- Delord 1988 : Gold Medal
Concours Agricole de Paris 2006 :
- 25 years old : Gold Medal
Concours Agricole de Paris 2010 :
- XO/Hors d'Age 15 years: Gold Medal
Trofeo Habanos, Cuba, 2007
- Vintage 1978 : Gold Medal
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Chauffe Coeur Armagnac
Martayrol is a family-owned business with a tradition that goes back to the last century and specializes in the making of various fruit brandies from France.
They own vineyards in Maupas, Bas Armagnac, orchards and a distillery in Cambremer, Pays d’Auge, and work with small artisanal producers from Cognac, Alsace, Burgundy, Perigord and Martinique for their other eaux de vie.
The making of Armagnac Chauffe Coeur :
The vineyard: at the Domaine de Labadie in the village of Maupas, in the heart of the Bas Armagnac region.
Note : even though the vineyards and distillery are in the Bas Armagnac, the Armagnacs Chauffe Coeur don’t bear the appellation Bas Armagnac because, according to the original and ancient receipe, Martayrol purchases and adds a very small amount of just distilled Armagnac from Tenareze, in order to add a unique multi dimension to the final product.
The grapes: essentially Folle Blanche (=Picpoul) and a little Bacco and St Emilion.
The distillation: single traditional distillation, at low temperature
Ageing: in small 400 liter oak barrels from the Limousin.
For the first couple of years, newer barrels are used in order to obtain a good color. After that, aged barrels are used so the Armagnacs can age slowly and acquire all their subtleties and finesse.
The VSOP Chauffe Coeur is aged a minimum of 8 years in oak.
The Hors d’Age Chauffe Coeur is aged a minimum of 15 years in oak.
Blending: this important step is done by the 2 brothers, owners of Martayrol, and the cellar master, each secretly bringing their own touch, their know-how and their artistry.
Usually, the blending takes place about a year before the final product is meant to be bottled, when the various eaux de vie have aged well and for a long time. At that time also, if some strength reduction is needed, it will be done, slowly and little at a time over a few months.
There is no sugar, caramel or color added.
Reviews:
- Wine Enthusiast 06/08 : VSOP : Highly Recommended, Best Buy
Hors d’Age : Highest Recommendation, 96-100, Best Buy
- Spirit Journal 09/2007 : VSOP : Highly Recommende / 4 stars
Hors d’Age : Highest Recommendation / 5 stars
* * *
Bas Armagnac Marie Duffau
Born in 1875, Prosper Delord started the company as an itinerant distiller. He gained a reputation for his dedication and expertise by carting his traveling pot still around to the farms in the Bas Armagnac region. He later married Marie Duffau and in 1925, they officially founded the company with their son Gaston and established
the business as a permanent site in Lannepax .
The Armagnacs were sold under the two names, Delord or Duffau, each named taken from a Grandmother of the family.
Today, great grandsons Jerome and Sylvain carry on the same
tradition, having established a reputation for quality that is unsurpassed.
Owners of a prime 20 hectare vineyard in the heart of the
Bas Armagnac, (widely known as the 1st Cru), they have been distilling, ageing and blending their eaux-de-vie the exact same way their great grandfather did.
Their ageing cellars contain Armagnacs dating back to 1904. When touring the distillery and ageing cellars, it feels as if time has stopped and you almost expect to see grandfather Prosper coming around the corner pulling his itinerant pot still with the help of his two cows.
Even though the company’s main business name is still Delord, they have always been selling under both names Delord or Marie Duffau.
The great success of Marie Duffau Armagnac is owed in part to :
- Use of high quality fruit, harvested from the best soils
of the Bas Armagnac.
- No use of pesticides or fertilizers
- A good use of the grape varietals : 70% Ugni blanc (gives a good foundation), 20% Bacco (gives roundness), 5% Colombard (herbal aromas) and 5% Folle Blanche (floral notes)
- A particularly slow single distillation process
- A distillation at low temperature (around 54 to 58 degres), which enables more flavors, fatty acids and character to remain in the spirit.
- a distillation in small batches
- Use of 10% Gascon oak to give good tannins, darker color and beautiful spices.
Tasting notes :
Napoleon: min. 6 years old.
Flavors of cocoa, orange rind, cake batter and
vanilla. Soft tannins on the finish and a touch of rancio to come.
Hors d’Age: min. 12 years old.
Rich flavors of toffee, old oak, pitted plum and raisins ; elegant rancio and long round finish.
Vintage 1973: 30 years old.
Pale amber color with bright, copper hues. Full, rich and fruity with notes of mild tobacco, citrus, spices and liquorice ; balanced and round, with
a wealth of rancio.
What the reviews say...
Marie Duffau Napoleon:
- Wine Enthusiast : Top 50 Best Buy Spirits 2006 & 2007
- Spirit Journal, P. Pacult, 09/2005 : “...creamy textured and semi sweet....” **** Highly Recommended / Best Buy
- Wine Enthusiast : 12/2005 : Highly Recommended / 90-95 / Best Buy
Marie Duffau Hors d’Age:
- Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2010, Ultimate Recommendation 95 points
- Wine Enthusiast : 04/2007 : Top 10 Best Armagnacs
- Spirit Journal, P.Pacult, 06/2005 : “...handsome, concentrated...” **** Highly Recommended
- Beverage Tasting Institute 2005 : 89 points / Silver medal
- Wine Enthusiast : 11/2005 : Superb / Highly Recommended / 90-95
Marie Duffau 1973:
- Spirit Journal, P.Pacult, 06/2005 : “...a beauty !” **** Highly Recommended
- Wine Enthusiast : 11/2005 : Superb / Highly Recommended / 90-95
* * *
Bas Armagnac Dartigalongue
The oldest house in Armagnac, the Dartigalongue family began to distill in 1813. In 1838, Pascal Dartigalongue founded the first Maison d'Armagnac in Nogaro, the heart of the Bas Armagnac region. In 1870 son Joseph acquired a large vinyard in Salles d'Armagnac near Nogaro. In 1978 great grandson Pierre Dartigalongue created his Museum in Nogaro which houses all the archives of Maison D'Armagnac, including all correspondance since 1838 and a fascinating collection of Vieux Armagnacs in their original bottles, dated 1829, 1848, 1852, 1870, and 1900. visit http://www.dartigalongue.com/
Tasting notes:
XO - 10 years old: Warm and honey gold color, scents of almond paste and fruits. In the mouth, the wood is light and not overpowering, allowing some flavors of tropical fruits, apricot and vanilla. the finish is medium long and elegant.
Hors d'Age - 15 years old: Deep amber color, scents of baked apple, butter and black oak. The mouth is vibrant and generous, featuring again the baked apples, the oak and then some toffee and vanilla with some hints of tobacco toward the end. The finish is long, fat and silky.
What the reviewers say:
Vintage 1974:
Wine Enthusiast, April 2007: Top 10 Armagnacs
Vintage 1954:
Wine Enthusiast, Top 50 Best Spirits 2004
XO Ten years old:
Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2011 - Excellent / Highly Recommended 93 points
Wine Enthusiast, Highly Recommended / Best Buy
Spirit Journal, Dec. 2001 - 4 stars / Best Buy
Hors d'Age 15 years old:
BTI International Review of Spirits, 2011 - Gold Medal
Wine Enthusiast, Highly Recommended / Best Buy
Spirit Journal, Dec. 2001 - 4 stars / Best Buy
Armagnac Artez
Artez is a small Armagnac producer who owns 12 hectares (30 acres) located in the Western part of the Bas Armagnac, also known as the First Cru.
Even though the eaux de vie have been produced at this distillery for many decades, a new owner took over the family business about 12 years ago. The uniqueness of Artez is to produce mostly
single varietals of Armagnacs, a very rare specialty which requires special skills from the distiller and blender.
About the products:
Vineyard location: a high, sun-bathed hill on the Western part of the Bas Armagnac.
Soil: iron-rich sands (sables fauves), which produce eaux de vie that are generally supple in their youth and show a great finesse.
Vines: the vines are about 40 years old and the vineyard is planted with Baco, Ugni Blanc and Folle Blanche vines.
Production: about 40 000 bottles per year
100% Folle Blanche:
This Bas Armagnac is made from 100% Folle Blanche grape, which was the staple grape in Armagnac, France until the phylloxera destroyed the whole vineyard in 1862. Today, Folle Blanche represents
only 5% of the total Armagnac vineyard, making Artez Armagnac Folle Blanche a rare spirit indeed.
This VSOP is single distilled at the estate and put into oak barrel for 6 years minimum. It displays floral aromatics typical of the grape varietal, white peach flower, dried apricot and orange
peel flavors.
100% Baco:
This Bas Armagnac is made from the hybrid clone of the Folle Blanche grape and an American grape called Noah. It was developed by French professor, Francois Bacco after the phylloxera destroyed
the whole Folle Blanche vineyard in France in 1862.
Nowadays, Baco covers only 10% of the total Armagnac vineyard, making Artez Armagnac Baco a very rare spirit.
This VSOP is single distilled at the estate and put into oak barrel for 6 years minimum. It displays a robust middle palate, with flavors of pitted plum, dried apricot, quince and vanilla.
Artez products are all natural with no sugar or caramel added.
What the Reviewers say:
100% Folle Blanche:
Ultimate Spirits Challenge, 2011 - Finalist 94 points
Spirit Journal, 2010 - Paul Pacult: 4 Stars, Highly Recommended
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