Brands
Gourmet chocolate brands
Our personal favorite gourmet chocolate brands are:
Michel Cluizel
Michel Cluizel is a manufacturer of high-quality gourmet chocolate in the French town of Damville in Normandy. The company is among the world finest chocolatiers, and produces a vast array of the most extraordinary gourmet chocolates in the world. Michel Cluizel features a range of fine pure chocolates, from high cocoa content milk chocolates to dark chocolates from 20 different countries, including our line of Premier Cru Single Plantation chocolates. They also offer over 60 perfectly crafted bonbons, from pralines and ganaches to gianduja and fruit flavored chocolates.
Michel Cluizel owns a store on Rue Saint-Honore in Paris, and in August 2004 the company opened a subsidiary in the United States.
Michel Cluizel won Academy of Chocolate’s gold award 2006 for Michel Cluizel Maralumi in the category “Best bean to bar”, silver for Michel Cluizel Mangaro, and bronze for Michel Cluizel Tamarina. Browse Michel Cluizel chocolates
Amedei
Amedei is a gourmet chocolate manufacturing company located in La Rotta in the Tuscany Region (Toscana) of Italy. Their products range from chocolate bars to truffles and pralines. Their are specializing on chocolate bars made with single origin and single varietal cacao beans.
Amedei won Academy of Chocolate’s gold award 2006 for both Amedei Chuao and Amedei Porcelana in the category “Best bean to bar”, in addition to a silver award for Amedei ‘9′. Also won the bronze award for Amedei Milk in the “Best milk chocolate bar”. Browse Amedei chocolates
Domori
Domori is an Italian specialty chocolate manufacturer located in None in the Piedmont Region (Piemonte) of Italy. Domori is the first company in the world to both process more than ten different types of cacao from several countries and work solely with fine cacao. These flavor or aromatic cacao types (criollo, trinitario and nacional) represent less than 10% of the world’s harvest. They are also among the few companies in the world to make almost all of its chocolate without emulsifiers like soy lecithin.
Domori won Academy of Chocolate’s silver award 2006 for Domori Puertomar in the category “Best bean to bar”.
Valrhona
Valrhona is a French gourmet chocolate manufacturer based in the small town of Tain L’Hermitage in Hermitage near Lyon. The company was founded in 1924. Valrhona is one of the leading producers of chocolate in the world. The company also maintains the Ecole du Grand Chocolat, a school for professional chefs with a focus on chocolate-based dishes and pastries.
Valrhona produces chocolate for professional as well as for private consumption. The products include confectionery, plain and flavored chocolate bars and bulk chocolate in bars or pellets. Valrhona is one of the few companies in the world that produce vintage chocolate made from beans of a single year’s harvest from a specific plantation.
Valrhona won Academy of Chocolate’s gold award 2006 for Valrhona Araguani in the category “Best bean to bar”, and silver for Valrhona Cao Grande in the category “Best dark organic chocolate bar”. Browse Valrhona products
Dolfin
Dolfin is a Belgian specialty chocolate manufacturer based in Wauthier Braine focusing on pure ingredients and top quality. Dolfin offers plain milk and dark chocolates, but is more wellknown and acclaimed for their flavored chocolates. They dare to create “unexpected combinations, to invent the subtlest harmonies” (according to their website). Browse Dolfin chocolates