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An iconic expression from a Cognac powerhouse, the Martell VSOP Medaillon Cognac is made with eaux-de-vie from the four main terroirs of the Cognac region - Grande Champagne, Petite Champagne, Borderies and Fins Bois - all aged for a minimum of four years.
Out of the four major Cognac houses, House of Martell is famous for exclusively distilling clear wines, without the lees, to better preserve the lighter aromas of the grapes and reveal an extreme finesse. Their eaux-de-vie are then aged only in casks made from fine-grained wood sourced from the Tronçais forest in central France, giving a lighter wood influence and preserving the most delicate fruit aromas. For this VSOP, the result is a wonderful symphony of plum, quince and grape complemented by exceptionally light tannins.
The history of Martell Cognac dates back to 1715, when Jean Martell, a young merchant from Jersey, founded his own trading business at Gatebourse in Cognac. Here on the banks of the River Charente his grand house still stands today, a worldwide Cognac icon that continues to innovate and evolve with the times.
The bottle's bell shape is typical of Martell, with the design becoming instantly recognizable for Cognac drinkers all over the world. Both the cork and the deep-red label have been stamped with Jean Martell’s signature, while the neck of the bottle bears a gold medallion commemorating the year 1715 - the birth of the House of Martell.
While the Martell VSOP Medaillon Cognac is fantastic on its own or over ice, it’s also the perfect ingredient for long drinks and cocktails. For a sophisticated aperitif with a good balance of sweetness and acidity, we recommend Martell’s Plum Spritz recipe:
Plum Spritz
Fill a tall glass with ice and add all the ingredients. Garnish with a thin peel of pink grapefruit.
A fair tasting cognac that is ok to the taste, but, in my opinion, needs more nose, a little more fruit, a little more complexity. Maybe Cognac is not supposed to be like that, but, in my estimation, it should be. I haven't tried a great deal of cognacs, but for the price and prestige of this thing, it should be fairly overwhelming, and this is not. I will keep tasting until I find something that is, and then I'll report on it, but this Marteell VSOP, as a drink, is only okay. There are many other alcoholic beverages that have a deeper flavor, are more complex,, and have a richer bouquet than this has, It's certainly not bad, but as a drink, it's just ok.
Martell is the oldest of the Big Four Cognac houses. Similar to Rémy Martin, but a few years older still, not long ago did Martell celebrate its 300-year anniversary. The history of Martell & Co dates back to 1715 when Jean Martell founded the company with the wish to produce only the highest quality in Cognac. With the legendary bottles Martell Cordon Bleu, the cuvée Martell Extra L’Or de Jean Martell and the recent Création Grand Extra from 2007, the company strongly implanted itself in the luxury goods market, and are famous for using large amounts of eaux-de-vie from the Borderies terroir. It belongs to Pernod Ricard and has sales of around 15 million liters every year. The most precious eaux-de-vie, some of which date back to 1830, are stored in a secret location in the cellars of Jean Martell - approximately 1.6 million 9-liter cases!
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