Martell L’Or de Jean Martell
Martell L'Or de Jean Martell is the quintessence of the Martell house: a 40% ABV (80 proof) hors d'âge cognac assembled from more than 400 rare eaux-de-vie drawn from the Grande Champagne and Borderies crus — Martell's two flagship terroirs — some of them aged over a century. It's presented in a Baccarat crystal decanter shaped like a single drop of cognac. It's available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 40% (80 proof)
- Blend: 400+ eaux-de-vie; Grande Champagne + Borderies crus, some 100+ years old
- Size: 750mL
- Classification: hors d'âge
- Presentation: Baccarat crystal "jewel" decanter
- House: Maison Martell, founded 1715 by Jean Martell; Cellar Master Christophe Valtaud
The Quintessence of Martell
Cellar Master Christophe Valtaud calls L'Or de Jean Martell "the perfect expression of this Cognac house's philosophy": the body and roundness of Borderies eaux-de-vie married to the structure and length of Grande Champagne, the two crus Martell has championed since Jean Martell founded the house in 1715. Blending more than 400 eaux-de-vie — including spirits laid down over a century ago — into a single harmonious cognac is the kind of patience only a 300-year-old house can afford. The Baccarat crystal decanter, shaped like a suspended drop, is the appropriate vessel. Note for collectors: this is the original L'Or de Jean Martell, not the 2024 Réserve du Château Chanteloup edition (a separate release with 1,400+ eaux-de-vie and 1,000 numbered decanters). Explore more top-shelf cognac and brandy, or the full Martell range.
Tasting Notes
Official notes describe a symphony of fresh citrus, fruit, gingerbread, and precious wood: bergamot, orange peel, dark berries, blackcurrant, clove, cinnamon, vanilla, myrrh, undergrowth, and rancio on the nose, over an intense amber color with mahogany highlights. The attack is silky — blackcurrant, woodland undergrowth, gingerbread, orange peel — with structure from the long-aged Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie and a very long, lingering finish where ginger and violet dominate.
How to Enjoy
This is a once-in-a-decade pour: neat, in a proper tulip glass, at room temperature, with nowhere to be. Add nothing — water would only dilute a century of blending. Save it for the milestone it deserves.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes L'Or de Jean Martell worth the price?
More than 400 eaux-de-vie from Grande Champagne and Borderies, some over a century old, blended by the cellar master and bottled in Baccarat crystal — it's the flagship of a house founded in 1715.
Is this the Château Chanteloup edition?
No — this is the original L'Or de Jean Martell. The 2024 Réserve du Château Chanteloup is a separate, more limited edition (1,000 numbered decanters).
How old are the eaux-de-vie inside?
Some components are over 100 years old; the blend is classified hors d'âge (well beyond XO).
What does hors d'âge mean?
Literally "beyond age" — cognac aged far longer than the XO minimum, in this case built from century-old stocks.
For the collector who has everything else: order Martell L'Or de Jean Martell online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.