France’s Martell Cognac remains the world’s finest, always advancing its legacy.
In these days of pop-up shops, 20-second social media clips and fleeting fame, for a brand to last more than 300 years and still be recognized around the world by connoisseurs as the finest means you’ve not only been doing something right, but also that your passion and dedication to your craft are peerless. That is the story of France’s Maison Martell and Martell Cognac, generally regarded as the finest cognac in the world by the most discerning lovers of any type of fermented grape juice.
It was in 1715 (and just think about that for a second: 1715) that Englishman Jean Martell journeyed to France from Jersey in the Channel Islands, settled in Cognac and founded Maison Martell. Martell was just 21 years old but had been apprenticing since he was 12 to a merchant and shipowner on Jersey’s neighbouring island of Guernsey, and he sensed a great opportunity.
At the turn of the 18th century, the Channel Islands’ strategic position between England and France made them a key staging post for the emerging business of international trade. Among the products they handled were eaux-de-vie, produced in the Charente region of France around the town of Cognac. Unlike wine, these distilled spirits did not turn sour during long sea voyages, and their quality was increasingly appreciated by English connoisseurs.
Even at his relatively young age, Martell knew a thing or two about the delicate process required when dealing with fine grapes, and he made two rather audacious decisions that still define the brand to this day — distilling clear wines exclusively and using only barrels of fine-grained oak for aging. Those decisions define the distinctive style of Martell cognacs, which are renowned throughout the world for their richness, elegance and finesse, and for always reflecting the authentic essence of their terroir.
From the beginning, Maison Martell had a global outlook. As early as 1783, it became the first cognac house to ship its products to the newly formed United States. Though the French Revolution in 1789 and the Continental Blockade during the Napoleonic Wars temporarily disrupted international trade, successive generations of the Martell family established a robust commercial network around the world. Again, when you’re referencing the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars in your company history, your brand has been doing something right. The excellent reputation of Martell cognacs enabled the House to export to South America by 1817, Africa by 1848 and Asia by 1858.
Maison Martell has never stopped moving forward while always protecting and honouring the brand’s legacy. In 2023, inspired by its founder’s innovative vision, Martell’s current and ninth cellar master Christophe Valtaud, created Martell Single Cru. For the first time in more than 300 years (there’s that time stamp again!), this collection of six rare cognacs offers a rare exploration of the House’s finest terroirs, revealing the distinctive aromatic specificities of each. Every cognac in the Martell Single Cru Collection is crafted with an eau-de-vie sourced from a single terroir. Of the 11,000 eaux-de-vie in the House’s reserves, Cellar Master Valtaud retains fewer than 400 for Martell Single Cru. Available in very limited editions, these six exceptionally prestigious cognacs represent less than one per cent of the Martell cognac enjoyed worldwide.
How these cognacs are enjoyed worldwide reflects Martell’s international heritage and brand. In China, for example, they are not only a staple of the nightclub scene but are also paired with the finest cuisine, while in the United States and some African countries Maison Martell vintages represent the cutting edge of current urban style.
The House is always looking for new ways to engage its global audience. One innovative new example is L’Atelier Martell, a retail space combining savoir faire with state-of-the-art digital technology and offering exclusive products and services. The concept was inaugurated in 2020 with the opening of the House’s first-ever boutique, L’Atelier Martell Shenzhen, a reflection of the brand’s popularity in China. There are plans to expand internationally.
It’s refreshing to know that, especially these days, character and quality still matter and cut through the noise, and that experience and longevity can still be celebrated. Here’s to another 300 years of craftmanship and passion — and the exceptionally smooth cognac that only Maison Martell can deliver.
