All about Martell

Martell's Cordon Bleu is not only the most popular expression in their lineup, it is among one of the top Cognacs, highly acclaimed by connoisseurs.

This legendary Borderies XO is beautiful, complex, and filled with character. The expression was created by Édouard Martell in 1912.

There is also a limited edition special release to celebrate 300 years of La Maison Martell. Famous fashion photographers Paolo Roversi and Miles Aldridge have shot campaigns for this product.

Martell NCF is another unique expression, which has been non-chill filtered. Whereas most Cognacs are filtered below 0°C, this one is filtered at room temperature, preserving the full aroma that is fully released when served with ice.

All about Martell distillery

The Martell family estate is situated in the heart of Borderies cru, in Cherves Richemont. The origins of the Château date back to the 16th century but it has since been turned into a guesthouse.

If you make anything for over three centuries, chances are you are pretty damn good at it.

House Martell is the eldest of the major Cognac houses. Founded in 1715 by Jean Martell along the banks of the Charente, at the pinnacle of the French “L’Art de Vivre.

The young Briton put himself on the map by marrying into "Cognac royalty" not once, but twice!

His second marriage was to Jeanne-Rachel Lallemand, “a direct descendant of Jacques Roux, a pioneering 17th-century Cognac merchant.”

By the 19th century, Martell had become the biggest international exporter of Cognac in the world, reaching as far as China and Japan.

Now under Pernod Ricard, House Martell has a robust range of Cognacs, focusing primarily on the top-of-the-line expressions.

Martell has placed itself in line with the luxury labels and introduced a range of premium products to the market via the large marketing campaigns.

They primarily target audiences in China, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, USA, Britain, Russia, and Mexico, annually selling around 15 million liters of Cognac.

They predominantly use Ugni Blanc grapes from the Borderies vineyards, aging its Cognac in Tronçais oak casks.

They double distill their blends in the traditional Charentais alembics stills. Cellar Master Benoit Fil continues to treasure Martel's secret of blending that has been passed down through generations.

Their rarest eaux-de-vie, some presumably dating back to 1830s, are stored in their Paradis at an undisclosed location—rumor has it they are storing 1,6 million 9-litre cases of Cognac.

Wowza! Martell sells almost 100% of its products through export. Only a small fraction gets consumed in France.

Distillery info

  • Country: France
  • Established: 1715
  • Address: Martell & Co, Avenue Paul Firino Martell, 16100 Cognac, France
  • Phone: 05 45 36 33 33
  • Website: http://www.martell.com/en-ww/