Founded in 1715, Martell proudly holds the title of the oldest of the "Big Four" Cognac houses (standing alongside Hennessy, Rémy Martin, and Courvoisier), having spent centuries cultivating a timeless association with luxury that goes beyond quality of the spirit.

Being a first mover comes with its advantages: Martell was the first Cognac house to gain favour with European aristocracy– being served in the courts of British, French and Russian nobility, including the coronation of King George V. It was also the first truly international Cognac brand, being the first to export to England in the 1700s and then to China in the 1800s. You can safely describe Martell as the venerable patriarch of the "Big Four."

For all its aristocratic association, the origins of Martell Cognac trace back to a rather unexpected place: the British-administered island of Jersey that was infamously known for its smuggling. Some speculate that it was within this clandestine world of liquor smuggling that the young and ambitious Jean Martell honed his skills in trading eaux-de-vie. This led him to France in the early 18th century where he set up an eaux-de-vie merchant business on the banks of the Charente River in Gatebourse, Cognac.

Ever conscious of its long legacy, Martell would often remind us of its 300-year history that spanned nine generations of Cognac makers. It flaunts its extraordinary written archive with a vast collection of notes, recipes, and correspondence stretching back to its founding. Among them is a letter penned by Jean Martell in 1720, referencing family-run growers some of whom, remarkably, still supply the house with grapes today.

Of the Big Four, Martell’s style has always been distinguished by its pursuit of purity, clarity, and elegance thanks to its focus on grapes from the Borderies sub-region of Cognac. This Borderies connection can once again be traced back to the house’s founding. Jean Martell himself was said to prefer grapes from the Borderies cru with its clay-limestone soil that enhanced aromatic expression. He recognised that these grapes produced an eaux-de-vie with a distinctive floral character with violets and nuttiness.

And while other Cognac houses may embrace the use of lees (residual yeast) in distillation to enhance depth and spice, Martell prefers to highlight this signature Borderies profile by removing the lees during distillation to give us a spirit that is lighter, smoother and rounder.

No discussion of Martell would be complete without mentioning its iconic Cordon Bleu. First introduced in 1912 by Edouard Martell, the great-grandson of the founder, Cordon Bleu is credited as being the first “mass-premium” Cognac to be created as well as being the oldest XO Cognac expression that still exists today. It’s not surprising that the Martell Cordon Bleu became something of a benchmark for luxury Cognac.

But we’re having something of a treat today.

The Martell Chanteloup is a premium XXO expression named after the historic Martell family estate.

It’s worth noting that the XXO classification itself is a relatively recent addition to the Cognac world. While XO cognacs require a minimum of 10 years of aging, XXO (Extra Extra Old) designates Cognacs aged for at least 14 years. The Martell Chanteloup is crafted from a blend of 450 eaux-de-vie from four major Cognac crus, Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies, and Fins Bois, with components aged up to 70 years in French oak casks.

Martell Chanteloup XXO Cognac, 40% ABV – Review

Tasting Notes

Nose: Very engaging rich, heady mix of dried fruit and florals. Luscious red fruits intertwined with a profusion of deep dried fruit notes of apricots, figs and plums – particularly prominent are the plums. A touch of floral freshness from the subtle honeysuckle notes, with some nutty-spiced depths of toasted almonds, hazelnuts, cinnamon and cloves.

A hint of quince added a fruity lusciousness, and a touch of herbal jelly provided a subtle herbaceous edge, before turning to a chewy, luscious quality reminiscent of dried haw flakes and candied orange peel.

Palate: Layered and balanced. Polished red berries, dried apricots, candied orange peel, chewy dates, quince and mint with emergent complex bitter oak notes, a warm cascade of baking spices, black pepper and ginger spice, antique oak and grandpa’s cigar box that reveals more layers of European oak depths.

Finish: Warm and spiced, with a lingering ginger heat, along with a berry fruitiness and an interesting touch of barley sugar.

My Thoughts

My overall impression of the Chanteloup XXO was one of layered complexity and lots of polished maturity. It’s got tons and tons of floral and fruity layers on the nose, with a palate that expressions very precise European oak depths while retaining that captivating fruit vibrancy.

There’s that initial familiar red fruit lusciousness on the palate you’d recognise in a Cordon Bleu though it’s more dense and concentrated, while the years of ageing seem to have imparted a pronounced spice. All carefully balanced by a berry lushness and quince paste jamminess that carried through from the nose to the finish.

An outstanding XXO Cognac!

@CharsiuCharlie