The design of each bottle of Martell captures and conveys the history, elegance and savoir-faire of the oldest of the great cognac houses in France, from the blue ribbon and tradition-inspired label, to the telltale arch at the base.
Let us start from the top. At the neck of the bottle is a ribbon, a seal of quality, and signifier of authenticity and prestige.
Examine the label and notice the striking emblem. The Martell family, originally from Jersey, used as their coat of arms a shield with three gold hammers and a swift. This coat of arms has identified Martell shipments since the early 1700s, when Jean Martell marked it on barrels he dispatched from Cognac.
The House’s iconic blue that adds colour to Martell labels is no coincidence. The colour is a reference to one of Jean Martell’s first businesses upon arriving in France, as an indigo trader. The blue also evokes the blue of the oceans, the Martells being a family of seafarers.
Look also for representations of the swift, a bird famed for flying far and fast, soaring over land and sea, and knowing no frontiers. Emblematic of Martell, it symbolises the House’s spirit of audacity and freedom.
The physical design of Martell’s bottles is also steeped in history. Cognac has been widely shipped in bottles since the 1850s, after the use of barrels for shipment declined. The bottle shape has changed only a few times over the centuries. From the 1990s, however, each Martell cognac came to have a bottle as identifiable as the cognac itself.
Martell VSOP
The shape of Martell VSOP is a contemporary reinterpretation of the traditional and historic cognac bottle shape. The swift is magnified and engraved, a tactile detail that is pleasant to touch.
The respective electrifying blue and red colours that define this cognac catch the eye, and imagination.
Martell Cordon Bleu
Martell Cordon Bleu is an icon of the House, created in 1912 to immediate acclaim by the founder’s great-grandson Edouard Martell. The bottle has evolved several times in the ensuing century.
Today, it is revisited with a new design that infuses energy. The heritage cues of Martell Cordon Bleu – the seal of the Martell family and the eponymous blue ribbon – have been reworked with vibrancy and modernity, with plays on different shades of blue creating a sense of dynamism.
The swift, the historic emblem of the House, which expresses its free spirit, appears both as a raised motif on the glass bottle. The punt in the base of the bottle has been redesigned with an accentuated curve, evoking the famously round, generous taste of Martell Cordon Bleu. Finally, its name is printed in handwritten letters on the label to emphasise the unique character of this cognac.
Martell XO, Martell Chanteloup XXO
The designs for Maison Martell’s most prestigious cognacs are as striking as refined, presented in a carafe bottle with pronounced arch and elongated neck. The swift is magnified and engraved on the back of the Martell XO bottle, which was recently updated to feature a stately cap and collar.
The cap of Martell Chanteloup XXO has a silver finish against a deep blue background. The elegant volute pattern on the carafe front is inspired by the wrought-iron gates that guard the cellar of the famous Chateau de Chanteloup. And in a sign of the times, an integrated NFC tag carries a customised message for whoever is lucky enough to enjoy this masterful cognac.
