AN EXTRA EXTRA OLD, BRAND NEW BABY
There’s much excitement as an art and craft as old as distilling cognac produces an innovation, writes Andrea Nagel
Cognac is a secretive place. I feel this as I walk along the cobblestone streets of the small French village, exceptional only because every few blocks there are grand Cognac Houses that hold, in underground cellars, the classified recipes of each particular brand.
So when I’m invited into one of these cellars by the cellar master of the oldest cognac maker in the world, on the premise that he’s going to share some of his secrets with me, I follow him, without question, through the mouldy tunnels and into his lair.
Christophe Valtaud, Martell cellar master, was born in Cognac, the greatgrandson of wine growers and distillers of the region. He tells me that when he was five, his grandfather started taking him into the cognac cellars where he fell in love with the scent of the amber liquid. A magician and alchemist before a scientist (with a degree in biochemistry, molecular biology and plant physiology), Valtaud, whose soul is part of the cognac soil, has been cellar master at Martell for the past three years.
In that short time, he’s made his mark on the brand. A few months ago he launched the Martell Chanteloup XXO in a brand-new age category. To carry the denomination of XXO, the youngest eau-de-vie (“water of life”, used to blend cognac) within the blend must be aged for a minimum of 14 years. Only three such cognac blends exist, and it is for the launch of the latest one, Valtaud’s pride and joy, Martell
Chanteloup XXO, a blend of 450 very old eaux-de-vie drawn from the four finest terroirs in the Cognac region, that I’m standing with him in his secret cellar.
“What better place to share the secrets of this exceptional blend,” he says, “than in my private tasting room.” With this, he points at a wall covered in shelves, lined with coppery bottles. “This is the first time I unveil the secret of the blend, an expression of the Martell art of blending, passed on through 300 years and nine generations of cellar masters.”
Of course, part of the secret is that unless you’ve spent a lifetime in the cognac cellars talking “eau de vie” and “brouillis” and “marques” and “alembics”, a good portion of it will fly right over your head. But this won’t detract from savouring each precious drop.
Ever read Patrick Suskind’s wonderful novel Perfume? Valtaud is a bit like the main character JeanBaptiste Grenouille, without the murderous tendencies. Known in the industry as a “memory master”, Valtaud is compelled to experiment with the scent and taste of eau de vie as much as Grenouille is obsessed with mixing the smells of virgins to blend into the perfect perfume. Valtaud’s passion is given the perfect expression in the Chanteloup XXO, a cognac that balances the Martell legacy — “300 years of history and savoir-fair”, he says — with modern tech and the best distilling methods.
Valtaud’s revelations include an invitation to have a go at blending my own version of the cognac in his alchemical room. But before that he tells me a little about the origins of the drink. Cognac is a kind of brandy that must come from the Cognac region of France. White wines produced in designated growing areas must be twice distilled in copper pot stills and aged at least two years in French oak barrels from the Limousin or Tronçais forests. The grades of cognac are VS — Very
Special — a blend in which the youngest brandy has been stored for at least two years in cask; VSOP — Very Superior Old Pale — or Reserve, a blend in which the youngest brandy is stored for at least four years in a cask; XO — Extra Old or Napoléon, a blend in which the youngest brandy is stored for at least 10 years; and now the XXO or Extra Extra Old. This new grade is a big deal in the world of spirits and cause for much celebration, and two celebratory dinners to launch it.
The first was a gala dinner at the Petit Palais in Paris, a grand and imposing art museum transformed into display cabinet for Martell’s new baby. More than 100 guests travelled from 10 countries to be present at the unveiling of Martell Chanteloup XXO — to be the first to taste what is the culmination of 304 years of experience. Its deep colour hints at the complexities it holds, from the tempting nose of honey, peach, fig and walnuts to the intense fruit flavours on the palate, ending with a round and full swallow. The tasting was complemented by a menu from Michelin-star chef Guy Savoy, who worked for months with Valtaud to create dishes to enhance the complex bouquet of the XXO.
The second dinner was hosted by Valtaud the following evening in Cognac at Château de Chanteloup, the former home of Jean Martell, who founded the cognac distillery in 1715. The château is now the House of Martell and used as a guesthouse. Here, after a delicious dinner punctuated by cognac cocktails, cognac tea, cognac on ice and just plain neat, some of the guests pulled out their wallets to purchase the bespoke Martell XXO Masterpiece trunk, a made-to-order presentation of the XXO engraved with a plaque. The trunk was designed to represent the wrought-iron gates of Martell’s Chanteloup Cellar, and prices start from €35,000 (R572,000). About 10 trunks were sold, a pretty good tribute to Valtaud and his new cognac.
“Only nine people have been entrusted with all the secrets of our cognac. My predecessors are all here tonight,” Valtaud said, pointing at the portraits on the walls, “and if you tell anyone the secrets of the blend, I’ll have to kill you.”