Martell is a cognac house founded in 1715 by Jean Martell. It is the oldest of the "big four" cognac houses (the others are Hennessy, Rémy Martin and Courvoisier), who together produce most of the world's cognac. Formerly owned by the Seagram spirits empire, it is now part of the Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët (MMPJ) subsidiary of the French wines and spirits conglomerate Pernod Ricard. Martell's flagship Cordon Bleu, introduced in 1912, was for many years the world's highest-selling premium cognac. making it the world's second-largest cognac producer behind Hennessy.

History

thumb|House and distillery of Martell

Jean Martell, a young merchant, was born on the island of Jersey in 1694. It was then a location known for smuggling, which may have led to his involvement in the liquor trade. on the banks of the Charente, and thus founded one of the first cognac houses. Variations of the logo he chose, a swift in combination with the Martell family coat of arms, have been in use ever since. cemented a strategic alliance that created an effective duopoly in the cognac market. Another marriage followed in 1865. This semi-formal relationship was dissolved in 1947 after the death of Maurice Firino-Martell.

thumb|left|125px|Cordon Bleu

In 1912 the marque launched Martell Cordon Bleu at the Hôtel de Paris, its first post-phylloxera cognac. While sold without designation (Martell XO is a distinct product), it is regarded as the oldest XO equivalent cognac still in production, and is widely credited as the first mass-market premium cognac. Martell Cordon Bleu was served at the coronation of George V, on the maiden voyage of the , and on board the Concorde.

In 1987, Seagram took control of Martell in a deal worth around $600 million, reportedly attracted by cognac's high profit margin. According to the Wall Street Journal, Seagram largely neglected the brand, and while other cognac producers experienced a boom in the 1990s, driven by increased consumption among African Americans, Martell's sales declined. By 1998 it was selling less cognac in the United States than all of the other big four producers.

Products

thumb|300px|right|Map of the Cognac region

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

  • Martell VSOP Médaillon
  • Martell Noblige Cognac
  • Martell Cordon Bleu
  • Martell XO
  • Martell Chanteloup
  • Martell Création
  • Martell Cohiba
  • Martell L’Or de Jean
  • Martell Blue Swift

Marketing

Martell sponsored the Grand National horse race between 1992 and 2004.

Like its chief rival Hennessy, Martell has targeted African American consumers in the United States.

A bottle of Martell Cordon Bleu can be seen in the opening scene of Apocalypse Now (1979), on the bedside table of Captain Willard (played by Martin Sheen).

The "Poe Toaster" is the name given to a mysterious figure who, formerly, would visit the site of Edgar Allan Poe's original grave in Baltimore on the anniversary of the writer's death. He would pour a glass of Martell and raise a toast. He then would arrange three red roses on the monument in a distinctive configuration and depart, leaving the unfinished bottle. Several of the Martell bottles are kept at the Edgar Allan Poe House and Museum in Baltimore.

See also

  • Cognac
  • Hennessy
  • Pernod Ricard
  • Cocktails made with cognac or brandy

References