Delord 2003 Bas Armagnac 40% 700ml

Brand: Delord (Maison Delord)

Release Name: Vintage 2003 Bas-Armagnac

Spirit Style / Type: Single-Vintage Armagnac Brandy

Composition: Colombard, Ugni Blanc and Folle Blanche Grapes

Age: 2003 Vintage (Distilled 2003, Matured 20+ Years)

Volume: 700ml Bottle

Alc / Vol (%): 40.0%

Country: France

Region: Bas-Armagnac (Lannepax, Gascony)

Cask Type: Aged in Oak Barrels (Including Gascon Oak); Distilled Using Traditional Continuous "Sier" Alembic Stills

Limited Edition: Yes (Single-Vintage Release — Limited by the Volume of the 2003 Distillation)

Award Winner: Not independently confirmed with a specific score for this exact vintage at time of writing — Delord as a house holds exceptional acclaim across its range, including 96-97 points from Wine Enthusiast and a Chairman's Trophy at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge for other expressions

Maison Delord is a family-owned Armagnac house founded in 1893 by Prosper Delord in Lannepax, in the heart of Bas-Armagnac, Gascony. Now run by the third and fourth generations of the family — Jacques and Pierre Delord, alongside Jerome and Sylvain — the estate grows all four traditional Armagnac grape varieties on its own vineyards and distills using both traditional continuous stills and double distillation, allowing for everything from fresh, young blends to complex, decades-old vintage Armagnacs. Delord's cellars hold vintages dating back to the early 20th century, with the oldest and rarest kept in glass bonbonnes in a room the family calls "Paradise" — a genuine, multi-generational commitment to Armagnac craftsmanship that's made Delord one of the most respected and best-selling houses in the category.

Delord's story begins with Prosper Delord, a travelling distiller who moved from farm to farm with his own alambic still before founding the house in 1893 — genuine artisanal roots that the family has never strayed far from, still growing all four traditional Armagnac grape varieties on their own 42-hectare vineyard in Lannepax without pesticides or fertilisers. This 2003 vintage was distilled and set down that same year, then left to mature slowly in oak casks for over two decades before recent bottling — a genuine single-vintage Armagnac, distinct from a blended, non-vintage release, capturing the specific character of that one growing season. Delord's oldest and rarest vintages are kept in glass bonbonnes away from the light, in a cellar room the family calls "Paradise," reflecting just how seriously they treat their aged stock. The house uses antique Sier alembic stills producing under 30 litres of spirit an hour — a deliberately slow, low-temperature process that concentrates flavour and character far beyond what faster, high-volume distillation could achieve. This is a genuine sipping spirit, best savoured neat, and a compelling choice for Armagnac collectors or brandy drinkers looking to explore vintage-dated spirits beyond the more familiar world of Cognac.