Christophe Valtaud was only 38 when elevated to the vaunted position of Martell cellar master, only the ninth in Maison Martell’s history. As a native to Cognac, Christophe  Valtaud gained an understanding of the region’s vineyards and terroirs from an early age, which he later consolidated at university.

As cellar master, Christophe Valtaud combines his expertise in terroir, distillation and blending cognac to safeguard Martell’s 300 years of savoir-faire, and take it forwards into the future.

Since his appointment to the role in 2016, Christophe Valtaud has never shied away from innovation, resulting in the creation of new expressions of cognac, the likes of which include Martell Cordon Bleu Extra, Martell Chanteloup XXO, and a highly prestigious collection, L’Or de Jean Martell – Zodiac Edition, a blend of more than 700 rare and precious eaux-de-vie released to coincide with Chinese New Year.

Since 2005, Maison Martell Heritage Director Jacques Menier has traversed the globe, overseeing Martell’s product launches, and training with partners and customers, while explaining the unique specificities of Martell cognacs – supported by an ever-growing team of brand ambassadors.

Jacques Menier’s connection with Maison Martell extends to the early 1990s, where as the area manager and sales director for the Asia Pacific he developed a special understanding of Asian markets. Cognac is a highly sought-after gift in Asia, often exchanged between families during important festive moments such as the mid-autumn festival and Chinese New Year.

Telling the true history of the House and its founder’s audacious life is the preserve of Martell’s House Archivist Géraldine Galland. Since 2010, Géraldine Galland has drawn on her love of historical research and fascination with archived content to paint a picture ofJean Martell. Thanks to her research, we better understand the way he nurtured and mentored his family, his passion for education, and his ceaseless quest to maintain the quality of his eaux-de-vie. Martell’s archives are so deep and well preserved that new information constantly comes to light. At the same time the advent of new technology creates new ways to preserve and

showcase archival documents and pieces. These include stunning photographs of ancient techniques used in the vineyard, and descriptions of the characters who have worked the fields throughout Maison Martell’s 300 years of history.

Alexandr Gorokhovskiy is a veritable expert of all things distillation. In addition to his nearly two decades of international experience in distilled drinks, the Martell Senior Brand Ambassador is currently doing a PhD on the early history of distillation. His knowledge extends beyond the world of wine and spirits. As a certified cigar sommelier, Alexandr Gorokhovskiy is also one of the House’s resident experts on pairing cognac and cigars.