From Cognac to Singapore: how 3 award-winning chefs are reimagining Martell through their exclusive Flavours of Martell menus

Much like an exquisite dish crafted from the finest ingredients, a Martell cognac is an assemblage of exceptional eaux de vie—the clear, distilled spirits of fermented fruit—meticulously selected and blended by generations of cellar masters. Martell’s savoir faire reveals itself in the tasting room within the house’s oldest cellar, where oak barrels line the atmospheric warehouse and the air carries the sweet, heady aroma of the “angel’s share”—the portion of spirit that evaporates during maturation. Here, cellar master Christophe Valtaud and his team of master blenders regularly nose and taste the eaux de vie destined for Martell’s exceptional cognacs.

During our visit, master blender Aldrich Dehec and tasting experiences leader Cristina Germaneau guides Wilson, Tam and Law through the meticulous blending process for the L’Or de Jean Martell. The assemblage drew on eaux de vie—some dating back to the 1880s—from the most prestigious vineyard regions: Grande Champagne (specifically the Réserve Extra and Réserve Spéciale selections) and Borderies. “The blending session is a highlight for me,” enthuses Wilson as he carefully measures each eau de vie. “Seeing how flavours evolve and transform as the layers build is fascinating.”

We savour the L’Or de Jean Martell neat, of course, to fully appreciate its rich, complex aromas of dried fruit and warm spice, and its silky palate layered with candied fruit, roasted nuts and cocoa. Throughout our stay in Cognac, we also discover the many ways Martell can be enjoyed—from the refreshing Fine à l’Eau, a blend of Martell VS, verjus and soda water served as a welcome cocktail at the Martell house, Château de Chanteloup, to a thoughtful food-and-cognac pairing at the château’s private dining room, aptly named Signature Martell par Alexandre Mazzia.

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Created by Valtaud and Alexandre Mazzia, Martell’s chef-partner and the creative force behind the three-Michelin-starred AM par Alexandre Mazzia in Marseille, the latter, a unique gastronomic experience aptly named Signature Martell par Alexandre Mazzia, is a highlight of our journey in Cognac. With each bite, we savour Mazzia’s signature cuisine, defined by roasted and smoked notes, layered spices and subtle heat, which finds harmony with the rich nuances of Valtaud’s exclusive blends, revealing how cognac and gastronomy share a common language.

It is through this immersive encounter that Wilson, Tam and Law translate Cognac into cuisine. Their Flavours of Martell menus distill the spirit of the journey into refined, flavour-driven expressions, offering diners a sensorial interpretation of Maison Martell’s heritage—where craftsmanship, memory and gastronomy converge.

Rooted in seasonality and produce, Wilson’s cooking at Marguerite is guided by the principle of Rachel Martell, the wife of Maison Martell’s founder Jean Martell: “the best, without artifice”. For him, it means allowing the integrity of each ingredient to speak for itself—an ethos clearly expressed in the lunch and dinner tasting menus he crafted for the Flavours of Martell campaign.

Wilson’s signature pâté en croûte exemplifies this philosophy. The intricate dish, layered with pork collar, duck breast, foie gras and pistachio pâté, was enriched with Martell Cordon Bleu to impart notes of orchard fruit and spice; glazed with a savoury jelly of port wine and guinea fowl jus; then served with thoughtful accompaniments: pickled black cherry, pickled beetroot and cherry ketchup.

For the main course, he presents a dramatic smoked eel dish. The star ingredient was paired with an umami‑rich consommé made from eel bones and skin, and lifted with a splash of Martell Cordon Bleu that was added tableside.

The meal concludes with petit fours inspired by the Cognac experience itself. Wilson’s gummies, infused with Martell Chanteloup XXO, paid homage to the angel’s share. “On the first bite, you get that same fragrance and intensity that hit me when I walked into the cellar,” he explains.

In case you missed it: Find Out the Versatility of Cognac at the Perfect Pairing by Martell Dinner Series

For Tam, the gastronomic meal by Mazzia and Valtaud “inspired me to think outside the box”. Reflecting on his time in Cognac, one memory that stands out is the Fine à l’Eau cocktail at the château. With its light, fruity and refreshing notes, he immediately recognised its potential as an ideal aperitif for Singapore’s humid climate. But instead of replicating it, he reimagines it as a palate cleanser that reinvents how Singaporeans enjoy Martell. “It’s our own kind of cocktail mixed with green tea, presented in a more elevated way.”

Beyond the palate cleanser, Tam’s Martell menu takes inspiration from how locals enjoy cognac; this concept was sparked by his exploration of the maison’s archives, where he uncovered its enduring connection to Singapore, dating back to its first shipment in 1871. Over time, cognac has become woven into the local food culture. “It has always been associated with celebrations in our culture,” says Tam, whether at reunion dinners during Chinese New Year or gatherings with family and friends over local dishes such as fish soup, where a splash of the amber spirit enriches and deepens the broth’s flavour.

Echoing the essence of the fish soup, Tam serves “a prawn noodle-style broth featuring in-season sakura ebi, finished with a mist of Martell Chanteloup XXO.” The mist, he explains, lets guests “experience the XXO through its aroma before tasting the dish itself”. The depth and maturity of the XXO “enhance the soup’s natural brininess and sweetness, lending body and complexity to what might otherwise be an understated creation”.

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Law’s relationship with Martell has taken root long before this collaboration. He recalls his grandfather as an avid cognac drinker whose cupboard is always stocked with XO. “Whenever we prepared a rich seafood dish, he pulled out the bottle and poured a shot directly into the food. That’s how I first learnt to smell the aromas and truly taste the cognac in a dish… an appreciation I carry into my cooking today.”

But it was through the blending session with Dehec and Germaneau in Cognac that Law learnt the parallels between cognac-making and his own creative process, particularly “the way I layer seasoning and flavours as I create new dishes”.

These ideas take shape in his seven-course menu, where a variety of Martell expressions are woven throughout the dining experience. “We feature the Martell Cordon Bleu in our welcome cocktail so guests can taste the different preparations across both drinks and food,” says Law. He begins the meal with chawanmushi served with a shot or splash of cognac to provide a fuller, rounder flavour and aroma. His seafood main course, inspired by his grandfather’s tradition, features marble goby basted with oil and grilled over charcoal. “I serve it with a seafood broth inspired by my grandfather’s habit of spiking his dishes with XO,” he adds.

Drawing on what he learnt about using cognac to finish desserts with dramatic flair, Law concludes the meal with baked Alaska served with mulberries flambéed in cognac, and prepared right before the guests.

Read more: Province restaurant is chef Law Jia-Jun’s love letter to Southeast Asia

For Wilson, Tam and Law, the Martell collaboration is about forging meaningful connections between food, drink and culture, as each chef brings his own perspective to the table. Law hopes diners experience Province’s vision of modern Singaporean cuisine, discovering how Martell threads through and elevates the menu. Tam shares this excitement, eager for guests to see cognac not merely as a pairing but as an ingredient in its own right, with “pops of familiarity throughout the menu that connect our Asian and French cultures.”

Wilson distils it to its essence: honouring tradition and craftsmanship. “I want people to experience the care, craftsmanship and authenticity, from the food to the drink,” he says. “Every dish is about using the best ingredients and techniques without overcomplicating things. Cognac is timeless, something to be enjoyed across generations. Tasting it alongside our dishes transforms the experience and shows how food and drink can truly bring out the best in each other.”

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