It is incredibly exciting to be able to offer any rare release, let alone a release that has been kept completely secret from the public eye, until now.

In 2014, the Bouygues brothers, owners of Bordeaux's Château Montrose and lovers of fine spirits, purchased a property in Cognac and invested a huge amount to upgrade the quality and production. Through their contacts, they purchased some very old Eau de Vie from two top Cognac houses and linked-up with Cognac master blender, Philippe Vallantin-Dulac, to prepare this incredible, one-off, limited edition production with him.

Only 3,000 bottles of their remarkable Montrose Reserve Hors D'Age Grande Champagne Cognac were made, and they cannot make any more. Each bottle comes in a special individual numbered walnut case and includes a personal invitation to visit Château Montrose. This will include a private tour of the Château followed by a tasting, where buyers will taste this Cognac and either back vintages of Château Montrose or a selection of other Cognacs.

Grande Champagne is the most prestigious Cru for Cognac production and Hors D'Age is the highest age statement. That means that the average age of the Eau de Vie has to be a minimum of 30 years old. However, this incredible Cognac far exceeds that minimum requirement. The blend is made up of equal parts from 1930s, 1950s and 1970s, so the average age is around 70 years, here.

In a blind tasting with the 'Maître de Chai' (or Cellar Master) of all the top Cognac houses, which included the likes of Paradis Henessey, Louis XIII, Plume Frapin Premier Cru and Barons de Rothschild Lafite Très Vieille Réserve, the Montrose Reserve Hors D'Age Grande Champagne Cognac came joint-first with Louis XIII.

This project has been kept somewhat secret by Montrose with the Château deciding to keep this top of the range Cognac mainly for consumption by the Bouygues family, for their friends and VIPs visitors at Château Montrose. It is therefore very exciting that Cru is the first wine merchant internationally that is able to offer this Cognac for sale outside the Château.

Released at £1,170 per bottle IB, the Montrose Reserve Hors D'Age Grande Champagne Cognac is one of the finest and rarest Cognacs money can buy. This is a piece of history from the prestigious Château Montrose.