Martell, one of the first cognac houses was founded by Jean Martell in 1715, a young merchant originally from Jersey, where he created his own trading business at Gatebourse in Cognac, on the banks of Charente. After his death in 1753, his widow and then his two sons and grandson continued this tradition and developed the export business to make Martell the number one cognac export in England in 1814.
Martell continued its international expansion and in 1831, the brand created its first Martell V.S.O.P which stands for Very Superior Old Pale. The first exports were to Japan and other Asian markets such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Korea. The Company’s most favourite product is Martell Cordon Bleu created in 1912 by Edouard Martell, great-grandson of Jean Martell and launched at the Hotel de Paris in Monaco.
Martell belongs to French spirits group, Pernod Ricard since its acquisition in 2001. Martell’s eaux-de-vie are aged in French oak from trees of the Tronçais style, with a fine grain that creates cognacs with lighter tannins and a delicate woody flavor. Martell uses grapes for its eaux-de-vie from the exclusive and most prestigious Cognac appelations of Borderies, Petit Champagne and Grande Champagne, with the majority of the grapes being Borderies.
Martell V.S.O.P Aged in Red Barrel is unique because of the barrel selected for aging. Red is a reference to the reddish colour of the aged oaks used. The barrels are crafted from fine-grained oak that has already been used to age eaux-de-vie and have reached the perfect stage for maturating this cognac.
TO THE EYE | Warm copper with glints of gold. |
TO THE NOSE | Intense aromas of ripe yellow fruit such as mirabelle plum, greengage, apricot and vine peach. |
TO THE TONGUE | Luscious fruit notes fuse deliciously with hints of wood and soft spices from the red barrels, creating an impression of elegance and perfect balance. |
TO THE END | Long lasting and smooth with notes of fruits and wood. |