Maison Martell unveils the inaugural L’Or de Jean Martell featuring the iconic Château de Chanteloup

The relationship between the distilled spirit and its choice of casks is crucial, so we head on to the cooperage to understand the process of crafting and toasting the barrel that Martell has perfected and still uses to date. Opting for a light toast instead of a heavier one—a heavier toast will result in prominent notes of wood which might overshadow the cognac—allows the eaux-de-vies to shine more.

Typically, the maison carefully selects trees that are 180 to 200 years old for fine-grain wood. Theoretically, the rings are representative of the age of trees. As the trees grow, it simply means more rings that are compact which will give the eaux-de-vie aged within them a lighter and more delicate woody taste. But for the first edition of L’Or de Jean Martell, only 300-year-old oak wood sourced from France’s most ancient forests was used, as older oak contains more tannins that further enhance the cognac’s flavours, lending notes of vanilla, dried fruit, chutney and flowers.

Only 1,000 numbered decanters of the L’Or de Jean Martell Réserve du Château Chanteloup, the first expression of the series, are available to purchase as part of the global release from January 2024 at selected luxury retailers. In collaboration with crystal maker Maison Baccarat, each drop of the precious expression is housed in an exquisite crystal decanter and carefully stored in an alluring wooden collectable box with two crystal stoppers—one for display and the other for transportation. 

“When you hold a bottle of L’Or de Jean Martell Réserve du Château Chanteloup, you have in your hands a real treasure; a cognac that represents a quest for excellence spanning 300 years,” enthuses Valtaud.

A discovery of such magnitude won’t be complete without a first taste of the cognac—straight from the cask—in a cellar which seldom sees visitors. A graceful bouquet of iris, wild carnation and honeysuckle makes way for sweet and decadent aromas on the first nose. The very first sip attacks with rich layers of cherries and blackcurrants that reign supreme on the palate. What follows is an elegant hint of spice that rounds off into a velvety smooth yet lingering finish. As the cognac evolves, echoes of earth and rancio emerge, while notes of sandalwood and cedar unfurl, reminiscent of the 300-year-old French oak casks where this liquid masterpiece matures.

Under a blanket of stars dotting the cerulean sky, we experience the versatility of the L’Or de Jean Martell Réserve du Château Chanteloup at a special gala dinner orchestrated by Alexandre Mazzia, the chef-owner of three-Michelin-starred restaurant AM par Alexandre Mazzia in Marseille, France, and Martell’s latest chef partner. The Congo-born chef tells us that his favourite part of this collaboration is the sharing of know-how between him and Valtaud. “He wants to understand my cooking and find resonance with cognac to create a truly unique experience,” shares Mazzia.

The result is an exclusive menu which consists of raspberry harissa married with smoked green tea duck jus to complement the oily red mullet; couscous infused with citrus and topped with horseradish and shellfish juice; and finely sliced razor clams that come layered with green apples, fennel water, and a briny seaweed condiment.

“With Martell, it’s all an intellectual symbiosis,” says Mazzia, as he intends for his fine-art-like plates to act as a bridge between cognac, and highlight the distinct qualities, especially spice and citrus. “And like how my grandfather enjoyed cognac with his meals, I want to bring cognac back into French gastronomy.”

Through the country’s most prestigious châteaux, French art de vivre lives on long into the future. The new L’Or de Jean Martell Réserve du Château series is set to enhance Martell’s ultra-prestige portfolio and elevate the timeless spirit to new heights.

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