Pernod Ricard’s Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët division has unveiled a new annual series from the top-end L’Or de Jean Martell line from flagship cognac Martell.
L’Or de Jean Martell Réserve du Château Chanteloup is the first release from the series, limited to 1,000 with an SRP in the global travel retail channel of US$7,200 each. Housed in a Baccarat-designed decanter, the initial bottling comprises liquid matured for an unspecified period in first-fill casks made from 300-year-old French oak trees that has then spent several (again unspecified) months ageing at Château de Chanteloup in the Cognac region. The chateau is the home of the Martell family.
The range will centre around “partnerships with different prestigious French châteaux”.
While around 50 bottles will go on sale in GTR in the New Year, a spokesperson for Martell Mumm Perrier-Jouët told Global Drinks Intel that the majority of the remaining units are bound for Asia, flagging China as a key market for the brand.
“Martell is further accelerating its ambitions in the ultra-prestige segment,” said Pernod Ricard GTR’s VP of marketing, Liya Zhang. “We know that exclusive and rare Cognacs are highly sought after by collectors and connoisseurs in travel retail, so we are thrilled to be able to offer a rare Martell expression for global travellers in 2024.”
In results for the three months to the end of September, reported in October, Pernod Ricard highlighted a healthy showing for Martell in China during the quarter, although group sales declined by 2% year on year. The Cognac category more broadly has had a tough year, particularly in the US where high stock levels at distributors and retailers have hammered broad owners such as Rémy Cointreau. Late last month, the group announced plans for a revision of its marketing of Rémy Martin in the country that will up the attention on the cognac’s VSOP iteration.
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