Jump to content

Martell (cognac)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Johnsoniensis (talk | contribs) at 19:10, 29 February 2020 (References: see also). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Martell
Founded1715
FounderJean Martell
Headquarters
7 pl Edouard Martell,
16100 COGNAC
,
France
ProductsBrandy
OwnerPernod Ricard
Websitewww.martell.com
File:MARTELL Logo.jpg
Previous logo

Martell is a Cognac house founded in 1715 by Jean Martell (1694-1753). It is part of the Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët subsidiary of the French wines and spirits conglomerate Pernod Ricard.

History

House and distillery of Martell

In 1715, Jean Martell, a young merchant originally from Jersey, created his own trading business at Gatebourse in Cognac,[1] on the banks of the Charente, and thus founded one of the very first cognac houses. Martell used grapes from the vineyards in the Borderie subregion, and used Tronçais oak for its casks, this made a combination that resulted in an exceptionally smooth cognac.[1] 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 in England in 1814.

In 1831, Martell created his first "VSOP" (Very Superior Old Pale) cognac and continued its international expansion. Its fame spread throughout the world, with the first exports to Japan and other Asian markets, such as Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Korea.[citation needed]

Cordon Bleu, created in 1912, is certainly the company’s most famous product.[1]

Martell was served aboard the Queen Mary in 1936 and even on Concorde in 1977.[citation needed]

In 1987, Seagram took control of the French manufacturer for $1.2 billion.[citation needed]

Since the acquisition of some of the Seagram Group’s spirits in 2001, Martell has belonged to the French spirits group, Pernod Ricard.

In the 2000s, Martell created new cognacs: "Martell XO" in 2005, "Martell Création Grand Extra" in 2007, in a bottle designed by the artist and glass designer Serge Mansau. In 2009, Martell cognac launched its signature cognac, "L'Or de Jean Martell". In 2011, Martell expanded its "ultra-prestige" range with an exceptional cognac, "Martell Chanteloup Perspective", a tribute to the know-how of the cellar masters and to the Domaine de Chanteloup.

In 2006, Martell joined the Comité Colbert, an association that promotes French luxury houses on an international scale.

In 2010, Martell renewed its sponsorship with the Palace of Versailles, which began in 2007, by supporting the restoration of the Queen’s antechamber. In 2012, Martell Cordon Bleu, which was launched by Edouard Martell in 1912 at the Hotel de Paris in Monaco, celebrated its 100th birthday in the same place.

Products

Map of the Cognac region

Martell selects crus from the Cognac region: Les Borderies, Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne and Fins Bois.[citation needed]

Martell VSOP Médaillon (Very Superior Old Pale) is a cognac blended from old eaux-de-vie chosen from amongst the best crus in the Cognac region.[citation needed]

Martell Noblige Cognac is so named after the old French saying, 'Nobless Oblige', that refers to the obligations of the nobility. And this masculine, elegant Cognac is dignified and sophisticated, and considered fruity on the palate.[citation needed]

Martell Cordon Bleu was created by Edouard Martell in 1912. [citation needed]

Martell XO is a blend of crus from Les Borderies and Grande Champagne. Its bottle is arch-shaped.[citation needed]

Perspective Martell Chanteloup is an "Extra" cognac which blends eaux-de-vie, some of which have been aged for several years in the cellars at Chanteloup.[citation needed]

Martell Création Grand Extra is a blend of crus from the Les Borderies and Grande Champagne regions.[citation needed]

Martell Cohiba is a blend of old eaux-de-vie from the Grande Champagne cognac region.[citation needed]

L’Or de Jean Martell is a blend of crus from the Les Borderies and Grande Champagne regions.[citation needed]

Martell Blue Swift is the first-ever spirit drink made of cognac VSOP and finished in bourbon casks.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Profile: The House of Martell". Luxury Insider. 16 November 2011.