Terroir & Vineyards

The region of Cognac is located 60 miles north of Bordeaux on France’s coast and is split by the Charente River. In 1938 the six crus of Cognac were delineated, and of these, Grand Champagne was singled out as the best. Delamain exclusively uses Grand Champagne Cognac for all its products. Not to be confused with sparkling Champagne, Grand Champagne is named for its chalky soil, which is also common in the sparkling wine region. Though it represents only 3.2% of the total Cognac appellation, it is the most extensively planted, with 32,904 acres of vines which comprise 15.6% of Cognac’s total vineyard area. The crests of the gentle slopes of Grand Champagne are covered in a type of chalk composed almost entirely of a variety of oyster fossil found nowhere else, ostrea vesicularis. This soil is what makes the wines of Cognac so austere, and when distilled, so long-lived.