Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail has introduced two prestige, limited-edition cognacs from Maison Martell – L’Or de Jean Martell Réserve du Château Chanteloup and L’Or de Jean Martell – Assemblage du Dragon – into selected travel retail doors.

Only a limited number of bottles of each edition is available globally. The GTR locations include Hainan, Shanghai, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Paris airports.

Luxury liquids from Martell

As reported, only 1,000 individually numbered decanters of the L’Or de Jean Martell Réserve du Château Chanteloup are available. This ultra-prestige cognac marks the start of a series that will feature yearly releases and partnerships with different prestigious French châteaux where the final ageing process takes place.

Maison Martell has collaborated with high-end crystal house Baccarat to create the decanter. Its sleek lines have been designed to evoke a single, pure drop of cognac.

L’Or de Jean Martell Réserve du Château blends more than 1,400 eaux-de-vie from the four finest terroirs in the Cognac region. As part of the ageing process, the liquid is aged after blending in barrels of 300-year-old oak, first in a historic cellar in Cognac, followed by a chosen château.

For this first edition, the ageing has been completed at the Château de Chanteloup, the historic home of the Martell family. The liquid incorporates notes of iris, wild carnation, and honeysuckle, all merging into sweet, rich aromas of red and black fruit – notably cherry and blackcurrant heightened by a hint of spice.

As the cognac evolves, aromas of earth and rancio come to the fore. Fragrant notes of sandalwood and cedar recall the casks made of French oak in which the cognac rests.

Marking the Year of the Dragon

L’Or de Jean Martell – Assemblage du Dragon forms part of Maison Martell’s yearly Zodiac Edition series. Designed in celebration of Chinese New Year specifically for 2024’s Year of the Dragon, the cognac is presented in a prestige Baccarat decanter. It sports a neck embellished with 19-carat gold and is crowned by a crystal stopper shaped like a dragon’s head.

The flamboyant design follows all the way through to the outer box. The red metal doors are embossed with a pattern designed to evoke dragon’s skin.

The liquid features more than 1,400 eaux-de-vie, including a selection from previous Years of the Dragon, blended to combine the intensity and elegance of the original cognac.

It incorporates notes of candied and dried fruit, berries, soft spices and warm noble woods, notably Chinese cinnamon, Sichuan pepper, cedar, and sandalwood.

Pernod Ricard Global Travel Retail Vice President Marketing Liya Zhang commented: “Martell is further accelerating its ambitions in the ultra-prestige segment with the launch of L’Or de Jean Martell Réserve du Château Chanteloup and L’Or de Jean Martell Assemblage du Dragon.

“We see the new editions as a testament to the brand’s commitment to quality and craftsmanship, reflecting our mission to elevate premium offerings in travel retail locations.

“We know that exclusive and rare cognacs are highly sought after by collectors and connoisseurs in travel retail, so we are thrilled to be able to offer not one, but two rare Martell expressions for global travellers in 2024.”

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