ABOUT THE PRODUCER: 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 farms in the Bas Armagnac region. Later, he married Marie Duffau and in 1925 they officially founded the company with their son Gaston. They established the business as a permanent site in Lannepax.
Today, great-grandsons Jérôme and Sylvain carry on the same tradition and have established a reputation for quality that is unsurpassed. Owners of a prime 44-hectare vineyard in the heart of Bas Armagnac, (widely known as the 1st Cru), they have been distilling, aging, and blending their eau de vie in the exact same way their great grandfather. The aging cellars contain armagnacs dating back to 1904. When touring the distillery and 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.
The great success of Delord Armagnac is owed in part to :
- use of high quality fruit harvested from the best soils of the Bas Armagnac.
- organic practices: no pesticides, fungicides, herbicides or fertilizers are used.
- a smart use of the grape varieties: 70% Ugni blanc (for a good foundation), 20% Baco (gives roundness), 5% Colombard (herbal aromas) and 5% Folle Blanche (floral notes). The Delords grow their Colombard, Ugni Blanc, Baco and Folle Blanche.
- a particularly slow single distillation process.
- a distillation at low temperature (around 54-58 degrees), which enables more flavors, fatty acids and character to remain in the spirit.
- a distillation in small batches
- aging in 10% Gascon oak to give good tannins, darker color and beautiful spices – the remainder is in Limousin oak (giving a more fruity style).
