Martell

Martell VSOP Médallion is a Masterful Blend of Eaux-de-vie.

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 French basically have this way of living, where they believe in embracing all of the good stuff life has to offer. Martell Cognac is definitely the good stuff, with a full range of expressions for us to indulge in. La vie est belle, d’accord? Cheers to House Martell.

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 robust range of cognacs; a collection of 10 expressions. They predominantly use Ugni Blanc (Trebbiano) grapes from the Borderies vineyards, aging its Cognac in Tronçais oak casks. They double distill their blends, with traditional “Charentais alembics” (pot stills).

If Cognacs had royal families, The House Martell would definitely be one. In this royal family there are 10 Cognacs, 1 bastard Brandy, and several limited edition cousins. VSOP stands for "Very Superior Old Pale" Cognac, that is crafted from eaux-de-vie aged at least four years. Martell's VSOP Médallion is a blend of eaux-de-vie using grapes from four of the six Cognac regions; Grande and Petite Champagne, Fins Bois, and the Borderies. This offering differs from the rest of the Martell line up of Cognac's which have a higher proportion of Borderies.