Les Vénérables

Patrick Duler Ham, aged 70 to 80 months

An extraordinary, haute-couture ham for discerning connoisseurs who appreciate long-aged products. The combination of selecting legs with a high fat content and ageing in successive, naturally humid cellars results in intense flavours and extremely complex aromas of dried porcini mushrooms and walnuts, while maintaining extraordinary creaminess and sweetness.

Only the largest legs can produce these extraordinary hams.

Recognised among the finest hams in the world

The quality of its fat gives it an incredible creaminess and melt-in-the-mouth texture. Its refined aromas and extraordinary length on the palate are the result of very slow ageing in a succession of stone cellars. The Gascon pigs are selected from the finest animals and raised in agroforestry systems between woods and meadows.

"The best ham in the world is French!"

Paris Match

In 2014, during a blind tasting at the Boqueria market in Barcelona, our ham was the winner.

Relive this achievement in Barcelona in 2014

How to choose your ham

Our hams are aged for 30 to over 100 months. The longer they are aged, the more intense, complex, and persistent the aromas become. Each of my hams is unique. Choosing your ham is truly a matter of taste.

Patrick Duler

Each ham bears an identification number indicating its production date. This is branded on two sides.

Maison Duler is the only ham producer to provide the exact birth date of your ham.

Learn more about choosing your ham

Aged in the open countryside

Maison Duler hams are all crafted by Patrick Duler in southwest France on our organic estate: Domaine de Saint-Géry. Located in the open countryside in the heart of Quercy Blanc, far from any pollution, the climate is ideal for ageing hams.

An exceptional pig

The luxury of ham begins with an exceptional pig, the Gascon Pig, raised slowly in woods and pastures, fed naturally on grass, acorns, fruit, leaves… and cereals.

This pig provides meat rich in wholesome nutrients, particularly due to its high-quality fat with cholesterol-lowering properties.

Craftsmanship rooted in time

Over the years, Patrick Duler has developed an original salting and maturation process using natural Atlantic salt which lasts two months, without saltpetre or nitrite salt.

Then each ham is individually washed with spring water. It is then handled nearly 40 times during its ageing cycle, including regular rubs with Armagnac.

Natural ageing in successive cellars

Only then do we move to the drying and ageing phase, which is decisive. Patrick Duler is dedicated to very long ageing in cellars using indigenous yeasts, even though this technique requires daily attention.

The luxury of ham

Only a few hams leave the cellars each month—exceptional ham with a staggering aromatic complexity that offers an extraordinary experience.

The Patrick Duler ham is one of a kind; it was named “Best Ham in the World” in Barcelona during a blind tasting against the finest Iberian hams.

In 2019, Maison Duler was recognized for its exceptional craftsmanship by the French State and joined the Entreprises du Patrimoine Vivant (EPV).

The three main sections of the ham

• the petite noix: a relatively lean muscle with an intense flavour reminiscent of hazelnut
• the pointe: this is the top of the leg, composed of several muscles separated by veins of fat, with a slightly oxidized character reminiscent of Iberian hams
• the grande noix: the largest muscle, with marbled meat providing great tenderness, length on the palate, and aromatic complexity.

To enjoy the distinct characteristics of each part, it is recommended to start the ham from all three sections at the same time.

Ham and wine pairings

Generally, ham pairs best with white wine; however, many variations exist:

• Younger hams pair well with Champagnes, dry white wines, Loire wines, white Burgundies...
• More mature hams, aged 30-40 months, call for "rounder" white wines, such as Châteauneuf, Hermitage, skin-contact white wines, or vintage Champagnes
• Older hams, aged 50-60 months, pair beautifully with oxidative white wines, "vins de voile" (Jura, Spanish Finos), or aged Banyuls...

Wooden box and stand included

The ham is delivered in its wooden case, which serves as a protective box. You should keep the ham in its case at room temperature (our ham is sensitive to the cold; it does not like the chill of a refrigerator or cold room and prefers the comfort of a temperate room such as your kitchen).

A wooden stand has been specially designed by us for this ham, without fasteners or bolts, allowing the ham to be turned easily and used across its three sections as shown in the video below.

How to choose your ham?

The choice of your ham depends on your budget, your tastes, your habits and how you plan to consume it.

If you choose to purchase a fine ham, it is important to understand what constitutes its quality.
The 4 essential questions to ask before buying a quality ham:

1. What is the breed of the pig?

• Choose ancient, hardy breeds that adapt well to pasture-based farming, such as the Gascon or Iberian pig.

2. How are the pigs raised?

• in industrial buildings on slatted floors, or in “on straw” buildings?
• outdoors around a building?
• on agroforestry pastures, meadows …

3. What is their diet?

• Wild (roots, herbs, acorns, berries, chestnuts, earthworms, leaves, …)
• Natural (cereals, pulses)
• Industrial (flours, pellets, …)
• The pig's diet is decisive for the quality of the meat.

4. Which additives are used in the production of the ham?

• Refined white salt
• Carcinogenic preservatives: nitrite salt (sodium nitrite E250), saltpetre (potassium nitrate E252),
• Antioxidants and stabilisers: sodium citrate E331, trisodium citrate E331iii (a mixture of soda and citric acid), sodium ascorbate E301, …
• Sugars: dextrose, …

Maison Duler guarantees:

• Hams from purebred Gascon pigs, one of the oldest breeds in Europe
• Pigs raised on agroforestry pastures throughout the year
• A varied diet of grasses, acorns, berries, leaves, roots, cereals, and legumes...
• Hams salted exclusively with unrefined natural salt, without saltpetre or nitrites.

Without saltpeter, without nitrites

How to start and slice your ham

Questions and answers

• What makes Patrick Duler ham unique?
  Patrick Duler ham is unique because it comes from the Gascon pig, an ancient and hardy breed raised in total harmony with its true nature for 15 to 30 months.
  Furthermore, the ham is produced without any chemical additives (nitrites, etc.) and in limited quantities, with only a few hams leaving the Maison Duler ageing cellars each month.
• What is the production process for Patrick Duler ham?
  The production process for Patrick Duler ham is long and meticulous.
  It begins with an original salting and maturation process using natural Atlantic salt, which lasts two months and excludes any potentially carcinogenic preservatives.
  Each ham is then individually washed with spring water.
  The ageing cycle lasts from 30 to over 100 months in successive cellars, and the ham is handled nearly forty times during this process.
  The hams are also regularly rubbed with Armagnac.
• How to enjoy Patrick Duler ham?
  Patrick Duler ham is a delicacy to be savoured slowly to fully appreciate its aromatic complexity.
  It can be harmoniously paired with a white Châteauneuf or Hermitage, a skin-contact white wine, or a vintage Champagne.
• What is the recommended storage method for Patrick Duler ham?
  The ham is delivered in a wooden case that also serves as a protective box, allowing it to be stored in the comfort of a temperate room, such as your kitchen.
• Does Patrick Duler ham contain saltpetre or nitrites?
  No, Patrick Duler ham is produced without any chemical additives, including nitrites and saltpetre. The salting and maturation process uses only natural salt.
• What is specific about the natural salt used for Patrick Duler ham?
  The natural Salies-de-Béarn salt used for Patrick Duler ham is a spring salt, naturally present beneath the Pyrenees for millions of years and protected deep underground in waters ten times saltier than seawater. It is obtained by simple evaporation of these groundwaters using an ancient method: in a salt pan. This genuine and traditional production method gives this 100% natural salt, exceptionally rich in trace elements, incomparable flavour.
• What are the different types of Patrick Duler ham available?
  What are the different types of Patrick Duler ham available?
  What are the different types of Patrick Duler ham available?
  Maison Duler offers several types of Patrick Duler ham, each with its own ageing period and price.
  The "Hors d'Âge" are aged 30 to 40 months, the "Extra Vieux" are aged 50 to 60 months, the "Vénérables" are aged 70 to 80 months, and "Les Confidentiels" are aged 90 months and more.
  Options for boneless hams and boneless half-hams are also available.
• What justifies the price of Patrick Duler ham?
  The price of Patrick Duler ham reflects the exceptional quality and the meticulous attention paid to every stage of its production.
  Patrick Duler ham comes from the Gascon pig, a hardy and robust slow-growing breed raised free-range in woods, meadows, and agroforestry pastures.
  Raising Gascon pigs requires particular attention and long-term commitment, as they are raised for 15 to 30 months—three to five times longer than the industrial average.
  This extended period allows the pigs to develop rich, flavourful meat, essential for a ham of such quality.
  The process of crafting the ham is an art in itself.
  It begins with an original salting and maturation process using natural salt, which lasts two months and excludes any potentially harmful preservatives.
  This process is followed by an ageing cycle lasting from 30 to over 100 months in successive cellars, during which each ham is handled nearly forty times.
  This constant attention and dedication to detail ensure that each ham reaches its full aromatic potential.
  Production of Patrick Duler ham is limited. Only a few hams leave the ageing cellars each month, making it a rare and sought-after product.
  This is a testament to quality and integrity.
  The aromatic complexity of Patrick Duler ham and the tasting experience it offers are unparalleled.
  Every bite reveals a depth of flavour, offering a culinary experience that goes far beyond mere sustenance.
  It is an invitation to savour genuine flavour and appreciate the luxury of simplicity.
  The price of Patrick Duler ham reflects Maison Duler’s commitment to excellence, integrity, and uncompromising quality.
  It is more than just a ham; it is a culinary experience that justifies its value.