Martell

Martell – The oldest of the great Cognac houses

In 1715, at the age of just 21, Jean Martell, a native of Jersey, left his homeland to start a new life in the French region of Cognac. Driven by a visionary spirit and the pursuit of the highest quality, he laid the foundations for a house that is today regarded as the oldest of the great Cognac houses. Martell is thus not merely a name, but the epitome of over 300 years of unbroken craftsmanship and passion.

Following Jean Martell’s death in 1753,his widow, Rachel Martell, took over the business. With exceptional business acumen, she steered the house for almost 30 years through an era of prosperity and shaped it with her motto: “The best, without artifice” – an ethos that continues to inspire the family to this day . Under the family’s leadership, Martell established itself early on as an international player. As early as the 18th century, the first shipments were made to England and Northern Europe, followed by exports to India (1781), North America (1783) and eventually to every continent in the world.

The secret of Martell’s distinctive style lies in a unique combination of terroir and artisanal precision. The house sources its grapes from the region’s four main crus, with the smallest and most exclusive terroir, the Borderies, playing a prominent role . The gravelly-clay soils of the Borderies lend the eaux-de-vie their characteristic floral elegance and exceptional smoothness. Unlike all other major houses, Martell distils only clear wines from which all sediment has been removed . This method, combined with double distillation in traditional copper stills and ageing in barrels made of fine-grained oak, gives the cognacs their remarkable finesse and purity .

The house’s portfolio includes world-famous creations such as Martell Cordon Bleu, launched in 1912. This iconic blend was served on board the Queen Mary, on the Orient Express and on the Concorde . Today, Martell is part of the Pernod Ricard Group, yet the philosophy of its founder lives on undiminished. With its centuries-old tradition and its capacity for constant innovation, Martell remains an unshakeable benchmark for excellent cognac.