Martell's New Chanteloup XXO Cognac Exudes Pure Luxury
In the tumultuous world of luxury, the house of Martell stays at the forefront with simple yet robust ideas. These ideas revolve around three fundamental notions: a terroir, savoir-faire, and the art of transmission, without which all innovation is artificial, audacious, and inconsistent. Crowning these three notions is a cardinal value: the emotion that weaves a delicious link between the heart, the palate, and the spirit.
We know the terroir of Martell well. Its soul rests in the castle of Chanteloup, whose neo-medieval, Norman lines extend into the sky of the Charente, in the Borderies region. Its essence is the wealth of prestigious creations that spread the glory of exceptional cognac to every corner of the world. Martell's savoir-faire is no less known: an assembly that's down to a science, practiced since 1715. The cognac's creators have the key to this science, which brings the Cognac region's excellence to its fullest expression.
This is where the notion of transmission takes its full value: Christophe Valtaud handles the secrets resulting from nine generations of cellar masters, keeping the tradition going in the most accurate way possible. A gifted doctor in biochemistry, molecular biology, and plant physiology, he started at Martell as head of sustainable viticulture before becoming responsible for the vineyards as a whole. Valtaud, who is a child of the wine country in Grande Champagne and comes from a line of vine-growers, brought together the house's 450 very old eaux-de-vie (the youngest is at least 14 years old) to spark a new product (and era): the Martell Chanteloup XXO. The new cognac is a masterful demonstration of the long-standing craft, resulting from a combination of passion and humility. "I reinterpret the eaux-de-vie of my predecessors, and I make lasting new versions that my successors will one day adapt as well," he explains.
The new XXO (extra-extra old) combines acts of bravery to embody a unique allure. The most notable is that it is the only cognac combining wines from four key regions: Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Fins Bois, and of course Borderies, which represents only a tiny part of the Charente vineyards and constitutes the house's signature identity since its foundation. The reflections of Martell's amber-colored new addition shine with all their brilliance. Upon the first encounter, one will experience the gourmet aromas of honey, peach, apricot, fig, almond, and walnut, reminding of the luxurious experience that lies ahead. In sipping it, Chanteloup XXO gradually and continually reveals its range of flavors, superimposing its full-bodied, powerful nature. It's balanced and elegant with a surprisingly persistent finish.
Luxuriousness is at the core of this cognac, which makes the experience a priority. You could perhaps even call this experience bespoke: to help amateur cognac drinkers to discover this rich and complex assembly, the house has created Martell Chanteloup XXO Masterpiece. Developed by the Ateliers Normand, the made-to-order trunk highlights the unprecedented sophistication of its craft by housing two watches (meaning bottles traditionally used for sampling), arranged around the starring cognac. The customer will have the opportunity to select the watches in collaboration with Valtaud himself, proving luxury is perhaps also an art of conversation.
