'The definition of elegance': Delamain Pale & Dry

A defining Cognac

Delamain Pale & Dry was a revolutionary Cognac when it first appeared in the 1920s. It was far older than the average Cognac, and yet less defined by woody flavours, more by fruit. It was 'pale' because there was no added colour, and 'dry' because there was no added sugar. A hundred years on, and the blend hasn’t changed; Pale & Dry is one of the standard bearers of the Grande Champagne, Cognac's finest cru.

The house of Delamain has been on the scene for 200 years (201 if you're being fussy), in the Cognac town of Jarnac. It's not a big house. As Cellar Master and ninth generation family member Charles Braastad is at pains to point out, the annual production of Delamain is the same as the daily production at one of the four big houses (Hennessy, Martell, Rémy Martin and Courvoisier). The Delamain cellars abut the River Charente, which means they keep a very constant temperature, ideal for slowly maturing spirit.

Pale & Dry is produced exclusively from grapes from the Grande Champagne. In the various age categories that adorn Cognac labels, XO (Extra Old) means the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend must be 10 years old; Pale & Dry far exceeds that, with an average of 25 years. It is aged only in old barrels, which stamp a less overt wood character on the Cognac, therefore allowing other nuances to show through. It is, as Jason Wilson described it in his review for vinous.com, 'the definition of elegance'. /NT

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