Delamain Pléiade 1965, 50 Year Old
Bottle 02 of 42
COLLECTION PREVIEW
Bottle 02 of 42, a 1965 Grande Champagne Cognac matured for 50 years and preserved as part of Delamain’s inaugural Pléiade collection.
OVERVIEW
Delamain Pléiade Collection Apogée 1965 is a vintage Grande Champagne Cognac distilled from grapes grown in the commune of Verrières and matured for 50 years before transfer from oak to glass.
This example is bottle no. 02 of 42, drawn from dame-jeanne no. 339-05 and bottled in October 2020 at 44% ABV.
The release formed part of Delamain’s Pléiade collection, introduced in 2020 to present individual parcels chosen for their ability to express particular sites, vintages and periods of maturation within Grande Champagne. Within that programme, the Apogée designation was reserved for Cognacs that had reached 50 years of age or more.
The bottle is accompanied by its original blue presentation case and booklet.
THE BOTTLE
The cellar-style front label records the principal production history of the individual Cognac:
Cru: Grande Champagne
Commune: Verrières
Vintage: 1965
Age: 50 years
Cellar: Grand Chai
Dame-jeanne: no. 339-05
Bottle: 02 of 42
Distillation: sur les lies
Maturation: 350-litre seasoned oak cask
Assemblage: none
Filtration: low pressure
Reduction: natural
Sugar or caramel: none
Strength: 44% ABV
Bottling date: October 2020
The designation sur les lies indicates that the wine was distilled with its fine lees, a traditional practice capable of contributing texture and aromatic depth to the resulting eau-de-vie.
“Assemblage: aucun” confirms that this was not blended with another parcel before bottling. The stated natural reduction indicates that its strength was allowed to decline during maturation rather than being adjusted through conventional dilution immediately before bottling.
The photograph shows the bottle seated within its original blue-and-timber presentation case. Its individually numbered label is complete and clearly legible.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Delamain differs from many larger Cognac houses in concentrating on mature Grande Champagne Cognacs rather than maintaining a broad commercial range extending through VS and VSOP classifications.
The Pléiade collection was launched in 2020 as a series of limited releases documenting specific terroirs and individual cellar parcels. Rather than blending these eaux-de-vie into the house’s established expressions, Delamain presented them with detailed information concerning origin, vintage, cellar treatment and maturation.
The 1965 Verrières release sits within the collection’s oldest Apogée tier. It represents a Cognac distilled more than half a century before the Pléiade programme was introduced and held through a period in which the wider Cognac category became increasingly dependent upon consistent, multi-vintage house blends.
A contemporary account attributed to Delamain cellar master Dominique Touteau describes the 1965 parcel as having occupied a place in the Grand Chai throughout its maturation. Once it had reached its perceived peak at 50 years, it was transferred into glass to arrest further interaction with oak and preserve its developed character.
PRODUCTION & LIQUID
The Cognac originated in Verrières, within the Grande Champagne cru, and was distilled in 1965.
The label confirms distillation on the lees and maturation in a seasoned 350-litre oak cask. The use of an older or seasoned cask is important for prolonged maturation because it allows gradual oxidative development without imposing the stronger tannin and fresh wood character associated with newer oak.
After 50 years of maturation, the Cognac was removed from oak and transferred to dame-jeanne no. 339-05. A dame-jeanne is a glass vessel used to preserve mature Cognac once the cellar master determines that further wood ageing is no longer desirable. Because maturation in the legal and sensory sense largely ceases once the spirit enters glass, the release remains correctly described as 50 years old despite being bottled in October 2020.
The label records no assemblage, no sugar or caramel and natural reduction. It was bottled at 44% ABV using low-pressure filtration.
Only 42 bottles were produced from this preserved parcel. Specialist tasting records for dame-jeanne no. 339-05 identify developed notes of dried apricot, quince, marmalade, leather, spearmint, cigar leaf, walnut, polished wood, coffee and mature rancio.
An earlier 2020 reference describes a related Verrières 1965 bottling at 42% from dame-jeanne no. 339-01. That appears to be a separate parcel or an earlier Pléiade presentation and should not be conflated with the present bottle, whose label unambiguously records 339-05 and 44% ABV.
RARITY & COLLECTING SIGNIFICANCE
The release was restricted to 42 individually numbered bottles.
Bottle no. 02 is particularly notable as an early number within the sequence, although there is no evidence that its liquid differs from the other bottles drawn from dame-jeanne no. 339-05.
Its collecting significance rests on the convergence of several documented characteristics:
a single 1965 vintage
provenance from Verrières in Grande Champagne
50 years of oak maturation
identification of the Grand Chai
distillation on the lees
no assemblage
natural reduction
no sugar or caramel
a clearly identified dame-jeanne
an outturn of 42 bottles
original case, booklet and purchase documentation
Vintage Cognac of this age is materially less common than blended prestige Cognac, particularly when its village, cellar treatment, maturation vessel and production quantity are recorded directly on the bottle.
The relative lack of public auction activity should not be interpreted as evidence of a large surviving supply. The release was extremely small, and comparable examples appear publicly only intermittently.
PROVENANCE
The current custodian acquired bottle no. 02 in 2021 directly from Delamain’s approved Australian importer.
The original importer invoice remains with the bottle and documents its acquisition into the collection. There is no intervening private ownership or auction history.
According to the custodian, the bottle has remained in climate-controlled storage throughout its life in Australia. Its direct importer acquisition, retained invoice and controlled storage provide a comparatively concise and well-supported chain of custody.
Cloakroom Reserve has been advised of these circumstances by the current custodian. The original invoice provides documentary support for the 2021 acquisition.
THE STORY OF THIS EXAMPLE
The bottle was selected by a collector whose interests extend beyond the most visible prestige releases from the major Cognac houses.
Part of that approach is to consider what experienced distillers, cellar professionals and Cognac specialists choose to drink when they are not confined to the bottles produced by their own houses. Within the custodian’s collecting philosophy, that question repeatedly led back to Delamain.
That observation should be understood as the collector’s personal experience and perspective rather than a universal industry claim. It nevertheless explains why this bottle occupies a considered position within the collection.
Bottle no. 02 was acquired not simply because only 42 were produced, but because it records the kind of detailed production history that the custodian values: a named village, an individual vintage, prolonged maturation, minimal intervention and a direct line back to an approved Australian importer.
CONDITION & PRESENTATION
The bottle, capsule, label and presentation materials are described as being in like-new condition.
The bottle remains sealed, with no reported leakage, damage or visible handling marks. The liquid appears clear and retains a high fill within the neck.
The front label is complete and legible, including the handwritten-style production entries and individual bottle number.
The original blue presentation case and accompanying booklet are present. No marks or material damage have been reported to the bottle or case.
The bottle has been stored in climate-controlled conditions since its direct acquisition from the Australian importer in 2021.
WHY IT MATTERS
Delamain Pléiade Apogée 1965 represents a markedly different expression of prestige Cognac from the large multi-generational assemblages most commonly associated with the category.
Its significance lies in specificity. The label identifies where the fruit originated, when it was distilled, where it matured, how it was treated and when its development in oak was brought to an end.
For this individual example, bottle no. 02 combines that production transparency with direct Australian importer provenance, retained documentation, complete presentation and carefully controlled storage.
The release is also relevant within Delamain’s history as one of the earliest and oldest components of the Pléiade programme. Its 42-bottle outturn reflects the finite volume remaining after 50 years of maturation and subsequent preservation in glass.
It is a bottle whose significance is best understood not through scale or elaborate branding, but through the survival and documentation of a single mature Grande Champagne parcel.
MARKET & DOCUMENTED CONTEXT
Public-market evidence for the exact 44% dame-jeanne no. 339-05 release is limited.
The release was originally positioned internationally at approximately £900 to £1,000, with a documented historical UK listing of £923. A Swedish allocation of 12 bottles was released in 2021 at SEK 7,699, while a comparable example sold through iDealwine for €640 hammer, or approximately €805 including commission.
A current European retailer lists the release at approximately €942, while another international listing shows approximately US$1,037. Retail asking prices should not be treated as completed transactions, but they provide context where auction appearances are scarce.
For bottle no. 02, with its original case, booklet, importer invoice, direct Australian provenance and reported like-new condition, a reasonable indicative Australian market range as at August 2026 is:
AUD $1,700 to AUD $2,400
This is not a formal valuation or public asking price. The result of any private discussion may vary according to buyer interest, documentation, inspection, local availability and the costs associated with sourcing a comparable bottle internationally.
The estimate also recognises that Delamain’s specialist reputation and the 42-bottle production do not necessarily produce the same market liquidity as similarly aged releases from larger luxury Cognac houses.
COLLECTION STATUS
OPEN TO ENQUIRY
The custodian has permitted Cloakroom Reserve to receive private expressions of interest regarding this piece. An enquiry does not constitute an offer to sell, nor does it oblige the custodian to enter into a transaction.
CUSTODIAN'S NOTE
The bottle reflects the custodian’s interest in looking beyond mainstream collectables and considering the Cognacs respected by those who work most closely with mature eaux-de-vie.
DOCUMENTATION HELD
Original Australian importer invoice
Original presentation case
Original booklet
Photographic record
COLLECTION RECORD
Producer: Delamain
Expression: Pléiade Collection Apogée 1965
Category: Vintage Cognac
Country: France
Region: Grande Champagne
Commune: Verrières
Vintage: 1965
Distillation: On the lees
Bottled: October 2020
Age: 50 years
ABV: 44%
Volume: 700ml
Cellar: Grand Chai
Maturation: Seasoned 350-litre oak cask
Dame-jeanne: No. 339-05
Assemblage: None
Reduction: Natural
Filtration: Low pressure
Sugar / Caramel: None
Bottle No.: 02 of 42
Production: 42 bottles
Packaging: Original presentation case and booklet
Provenance: Purchased directly from the approved Australian importer in 2021
Condition: Like new, sealed, no reported marks or leakage
Storage: Climate-controlled storage
Documentation: Original importer invoice and photographic record
Indicative Market Context: AUD $1,700 to AUD $2,400 as at August 2026
Collection Status: Open to Enquiry
PRIVATE ENQUIRY
This piece is currently marked Open to Enquiry by its custodian.
Cloakroom Reserve may receive private expressions of interest regarding the piece. Any enquiry is subject to review and does not constitute an offer for sale, acceptance by the custodian or confirmation that a transaction will proceed.
Where appropriate, Cloakroom Reserve may facilitate a private discussion between the relevant parties.
COMPLIANCE NOTE
Member Collections are presented for documentation, provenance and private collection purposes. Inclusion does not necessarily indicate that an item is offered for sale. Where an item is marked Open to Enquiry, any subsequent transaction is subject to owner approval, applicable Cloakroom Reserve terms and relevant Australian liquor laws.