Rolling out the new Red Barrel brand

MARTELL replaced one of its flagship products in what one would say is an “out with the old and in with the new” scenario.

The brand has replaced the more than half-a-century-old Martell VSOP (very special old pale – cognacs aged at least five years) Medallion with the new, smooth, spicy and flowery VSOP Aged in Red Barrels cognac.

“When a barrel is called ‘Red’, a reference to the reddish colour of aged wood, it has aged before other eaux-devie during a two- to eight-year period, reaching the perfect stage of maturation for both the wood and the spirit,” explained Martell’s brand ambassador.

According to Martell cellar master Christophe Valtaud, the idea behind the phasing out of the Medallion, which was created in 1960, came from a desire to take the VSOP closer to the core Martell style while creating a worthy successor.

According to the Martell Cognac lifestyle brand ambassador Hussain van Roos, The Red Barrel was first launched globally a few months ago and “produces in the mouth a full, broad attack and unveils intense fruity tones – small plums and honeymoon peaches and apricots”.

According to Martell heritage director Jacques Menier, “This is a product that is more open to more people.

“We have more and more younger adult consumers, so we needed a cognac that is easier to drink,” he said.

It “could be served as an aperitif, with dessert or with a medium steak. The opportunities are endless”, concluded Van Ross.