Maison Martell, one of the oldest cognac houses, celebrated its 300th anniversary on April 15, 2015. To celebrate this tercentenary in style, the “Martell France 30” project was imagined in the image of Louis XIV, who three centuries ago brought together the nation’s greatest artists and cultural figures at the court of Versailles.
Martell therefore called on L’Officiel magazine to identify their contemporary equivalents: the 300 young talents to follow, who contribute to the influence of gastronomy, art, fashion, and entertainment embodying the French art of living in the 21st century. The full list of 300 talents will be announced in June 2015. Diane Kruger, the actress who embodies the very essence of elegance and style, through her enduring connections with France, was present on April 15, to testify to her attachment to French art de vivre.
To complement this project, Maison Martell will celebrate its Tricentenary in Versailles on May 20, in the presence of 300 guests. The anniversary will also be celebrated in over 30 cities around the world. In the second half of the year, Martell will return to its origins in Cognac, where it is renovating the historic Gâtebourse site, the House’s emblematic birthplace. The site will be redesigned to open out onto the city and reveal its historical, industrial and architectural heritage.
In parallel, an exhibition will take place with the City of Cognac and the Cognac Patrimoine association. Available from September 2015 at the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire de Cognac, the exhibition entitled “Martell dans la Cité” will pay tribute to the Martell family and the impact of the trading houses on the city of Cognac. Finally, four new limited-edition blends have been created in honor of the House’s 300th anniversary. Benoît Fil, Martell’s cellar master, drew inspiration from Jean Martell’s original correspondence to create the limited editions in tribute to the founder, including Martell Premier Voyage, as well as Martell Cordon Bleu “A Tribute to Martell’s 300 year anniversary”, Martell XO Exclusive Tricentenaire Edition and Martell Assemblage Exclusif de 3 Millésimes.
The story of the founding of this house is rather ordinary, but worth recalling. In 1715, Jean Martell, a young merchant from Jersey, set up his own trading business in Cognac, thus founding one of the very first cognac houses. After his death in 1753, his widow, then his two sons and grandson, carried on the legacy and developed the export business, making Martell number one in England in 1814. Since then, this house, committed to promoting French heritage, has never ceased to contribute to the influence of French art de vivre.
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