Transported by boat to the countries of Northern Europe, England, Holland and the Scandinavian lands, French wines from the Poitou region have been much appreciated abroad since the 13th century.

From the 17th century on, the wines were transformed into eaux de vie, aged in oak barrels to obtain the precious cognac. Little by little the region built up a global reputation.

In 1715, Englishman Jean Martell left Saint-Brelade, his home town, on the Island of Jersey. He moved to the Cognac region of south-west France and established his own business trading in eaux-de-vie. He set up his offices at Gâtebourse, at the heart of the cellars. Almost 6 years later, the Martell house was already exporting its cognacs to the United Kingdom.

In 1753 Jean Martell died and left the business to his wife and two sons, Jean and Frédéric. The family company was renamed J&F Martell, after the sons' initials. In 40 years, Jean Martell had set up a prosperous, well-known business producing and exporting cognacs whose quality was already recognised worldwide.

In 1868 Martell began exporting to Asia: China, Japan, Honk Kong, etc.

In 1912 Édouard Martell created the star of cognacs: Martell Cordon Bleu. It was officially launched in the Hôtel de Paris in Monaco.

On 27th May 1936, Martell was served on the Queen Mary's maiden voyage.

In 1957 Martell Cordon Bleu was served at a reception given by the French President in honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II at Château de la Celle Saint-Cloud et du Musée du Louvre.

In 1979 Martell Cordon Bleu appeared in an unmissable film: Apocalypse Now.
Today, Martell is the oldest of all the Cognac houses, and it exports close to 19 million bottles.

The grape harvests
The grapes required to make cognac are picked each Autumn during the grape harvest, notably in the area around Les Borderies, to the north of the town of Cognac. This region is favoured with an exceptional micro-climate and produces a light white wine made from Ugni-Blanc grapes.

Distillation
The wine produced is distilled every year from November to March. In order to benefit from the "Cognac" appellation, this wine is double distilled in Charentais pot stills. The house of Martell has a "secret weapon" that gives its cognacs all their finesse: a burner and small stills are used to purify the eaux de vie collected after distillation.

Ageing
The eau de vie obtained is aged in casks made of oak from the forest of Tronçais, in the Allier region of France. The casks are made in Martell's own cask works, also on the site. The fine grain of the wood used leads to slow ageing: this is the stage that gives the cognacs their mellowness and their exceptional bouquet. Some eaux de vie have been ageing in casks since 1830!
While the cognacs are maturing, some alcohol evaporates into the cellar barrels: this is known as "the angels' share". The "houillage" stage is then essential: the cellar master gradually tops up the levels of eaux de vie, to make up for the loss by evaporation.

Blending
Once maturing is complete, the cellar masters select the eaux de vie and blend them in the appropriate proportions. The quality of Martell cognacs is the result of this unique know-how, which preserves all their flavours and their stability.

An exceptional cognac, Martell is particularly recommended as a digestif, for a sophisticated ending to a meal of fine dishes.

VSOP Médaillon can also be enjoyed as an aperitif, on the rocks, or as a long drink with a mixer.

For enthusiasts seeking original flavours, the house of Martell offers several fruity cocktails, ideal for discovering the infinite possibilities of cognac. Martell VSOP Médaillon is recommended.

Martell Cordon Bleu, Martell XO and L'OR de Martell should be reserved for exceptional occasions: they are drunk neat.

Due to its rare quality, we recommend serving Martell cognac in a crystal balloon glass, in order to combine finesse of aromas and elegance of presentation