Martell VSOP

Jean Martell was a visionary entrepreneur, a man who was very hard-working yet a born hedonist too; there was a famous saying of his, "Our duty ought to be a pleasure and our pleasure, a duty". Most exacting, Martell established for his cognacs some rigorous quality standards which the brand has successfully maintained throughout its more than 300 years of history, being today the oldest of Cognac's great wineries. Founded in 1715, Martell didn't take long to achieve an elegant and refined style which resulted in it becoming the favourite cognac at European royal courts. Nowadays, as then, it continues to be an essential name when talking of Cognac.

Terroir, precision and time are combined magically in Martell VSOP, a cognac that blends masterfully the aged eau-de-vies of the four finest terroirs in the Cognac region: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Fins Bois and Borderies. Complementing this raw material are master distillers and their precise production methods, as well as astute ageing. Whereas the majority of cognac producers use coarse-grain oak barrels, the Martell cognacs age in fine-grain oak thus favouring the emergence of some subtle woody aromas and smooth delicate tannins. Its VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) label means that the youngest of the spirits has undergone at least four years of ageing in these barrels.

An amber-gold colour, Martell VSOP exhibits a bittersweet smoothness on the nose which introduces us to its aromatic complexity: lime, liqueur notes, sweetened fruit like quince, grape and plum, aromas of undergrowth and other fresh notes of oak and hazelnuts. On the palate, its hints of candied fruit remain, now more complex and accompanied by a smooth and silky sensation, and it proves full-bodied, round and very long-lasting on the palate. An ideal cognac for enjoying on its own or with ice, yet having the sort of harmony that confers on it just the right qualities for creating cocktails.