Cardinal Du Four
Cardinal Du Four
France's best kept secret
Product Details
21–43 year vintage Armagnacs
30 year average age
No additives
Awards
Platinum Award, 97 Points | Las Vegas Global Spirits Awards
Double Gold | New York World Spirits Competition
Gold Medal | San Francisco World Spirits Competition
Gold Medal | Concours Général Agricole Paris
Double Gold, 97 Points | Blue Lifestyle / Anthony Dias Blue
Gold Medal | Concours Général Agricole Paris
About
Cardinal Du Four
Cardinal du Four is a luxury French Armagnac built around one of the oldest spirits traditions in the world. Armagnac was first documented in 1310 by Cardinal Vital du Four and predates Cognac by more than 200 years. The spirit is produced in southwest France using traditional grape varieties, small-batch distillation, and extended aging in French oak. The brand’s flagship 21 Rébellion is a blend of vintage Armagnacs aged between 21 and 43 years, with an average age of approximately 30 years. It is produced from Ugni Blanc, Baco, Folle Blanche, and Colombard grapes grown in the Bas-Armagnac and Ténarèze terroirs and distilled using a traditional continuous copper Alambic Armagnacais. The finished spirit contains no added sugar or caramel.
BrandAmped Relationship
Partner Brand
Cardinal du Four represents exactly the kind of product BrandAmped looks for in a partner brand. The liquid is exceptional, the production has real history behind it, and the brand has a clear reason for existing within a category that many American consumers are still discovering.
That creates an interesting commercial opportunity. Armagnac has centuries of history and craftsmanship behind it, but still requires education and thoughtful positioning in the U.S. market. Cardinal du Four gives BrandAmped a product with a strong story, a highly differentiated liquid, and plenty for our team to work with as we introduce more consumers and accounts to the category.
Founding Story
Cardinal du Four was founded by Christophe Namer after more than 20 years working in wine, spirits, restaurants, and luxury hospitality. Namer originally explored creating a Cognac before being introduced to Armagnac and tasting through barrels in the region. The quality of the available eaux-de-vie convinced him that Armagnac could compete at the highest level of luxury spirits.
While researching the history of Armagnac, Namer repeatedly came across Cardinal Vital du Four, the 14th-century theologian and scholar who documented the virtues of Armagnac in 1310. That history became the foundation for the Cardinal du Four name and brand.
The flagship expression was developed as 21 Rébellion, a blend of vintage Armagnacs aged from 21 to 43 years. The number 21 references the biblical symbolism of rebellion, while the bottle itself was designed in the shape of a Cardinal’s mitre as another reference to Vital du Four.
In 2024, François Thibault joined Cardinal du Four as co-founder and Master Blender. Thibault is a French cellar master and distiller best known for creating the original recipe and production process for Grey Goose Vodka. He brought decades of experience in Cognac, Armagnac, wine, and spirits production to the development of Cardinal du Four’s next generation of blends.
Founder :
Christophe Namer
Christophe Namer was born and raised in Aix-en-Provence, France and has spent more than 20 years working across restaurants, wine, spirits, and luxury brands. He is an advanced sommelier through the International Sommelier Guild and holds spirits credentials from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and Society of Wine Educators.
Before founding Cardinal du Four, Namer co-owned restaurants and spent five years as a Brand Attaché and spokesperson for Grey Goose Vodka. He later spent three years as the Western U.S. Brand Ambassador for LOUIS XIII, working with high-net-worth consumers and luxury brands through private tastings, dinners, and other experiences. He eventually left to create his own spirits brand, launching Cardinal du Four around a category and product he believed deserved greater recognition in the U.S. market.
Founder :
François Thibault
François Thibault joined Cardinal du Four in 2024 as co-founder and Master Blender. Born and raised in France with family roots in the Cognac region, he studied viticulture and oenology before beginning his career in Cognac in 1982. His work eventually expanded into whiskey, tequila, Armagnac, and other spirits.
Thibault is best known for developing Grey Goose Vodka, including its original recipe and distillation process. His experience with Armagnac dates back decades, including blending Armagnacs beginning in 1990. At Cardinal du Four, he works alongside Namer on the development and blending of the brand’s Armagnac portfolio.
