Delamain 40yo, Pleiade Series, Cask #214-01 (44.5%)

This remarkable single-cask Cognac from Delamain was distilled in 1983 from grapes grown on Grande Champagne soils. After spending its initial maturation period in a small south-facing Jarnac cellar, the rare liquid journeyed to the estate’s slightly damper vintage cellar which is reserved for its finest Cognacs. A mere 300 bottles of the 40-year-old Cognac were filled from the special 350-litre Limousin oak cask in March 2023. The resulting liquid – named Pléaide after a collection of stars that guided ancient Greek mariners, and in more recent history has been adopted to describe extraordinary creative work – is wonderfully complex.