Delamain Vintage 1988 Grande Champagne Cognac is a highly collectible, top-tier single-vintage cognac. Crafted by Delamain, a leading French cognac house founded in 1824, its raw materials are sourced entirely from the Bouteville Grand Cru vineyards in the heart of the Grande Champagne region, placing it at a higher level of aging than XO.
Core Specifications and Winemaking Process
- Origin & Terroir: 100% Grande Champagne (Premier Cru de Cognac), often sourced or selected from top sub-terroirs like Boutine.
- Vintage and Aging: A single harvest from 1988, aged for a full 30 years in 350-liter roux oak barrels in the Tronçais forests of France, and officially bottled in 2018. The winery insists on not using new oak barrels to perfectly preserve the original elegance and delicacy of Grande Champagne Cognac.
- Aging Process: Matured in seasoned French oak casks (such as older "roux" or Tronçais oak barrels) rather than new wood, preserving the delicate, natural character of the vintage without heavy wood tannins. Many releases from this harvest were bottled around 2018 at roughly 30 years of age.
Tasting Note
- Appearance and Color: Presents a refined light to medium gold color with bright amber and subtle orange hues.
- Nose: Shy at first, opening up with light fruitiness (apricot, apple, fresh fig, lychee), hints of tobacco, fine leather, roasted almonds, and refined oak.
- Palate: Medium-bodied and naturally sweet with a delicate mouthfeel, showcasing apricot, dried fruits, citrus/grapefruit, vanilla pod, and a subtle tingle.
- Finish: Medium-long, turning drier and smoother with lingering floral perfume, light rancio, caramel, and oak.
