A rare creation emerges in the quiet grandeur of legacy — not merely as a spirit, but as a symbol. The connection between Singapore and Martell dates back to 1871, when the first shipments from Cognac arrived. As Singapore celebrates its 60th year of independence, Maison Martell unveils a once-in-a-generation creation, the Martell Limited Edition 60-Years-Old as a fitting gesture to commemorate this stately occasion.
Martell has created only 12 bottles of the special creation, each as an heirloom of shared moments between the Lion City and the oldest of the Great Cognac Houses. The eaux-de-vie that were blended as part of this creation are a reflection of this masterpiece; drawn from the historic Martell Founder’s Reserve cellar by Martell Cellar Master Christophe Valtaud.
Records of 1ère expédition Singapour 1871
“In crafting this cognac, I sought to create a blend as emblematic as Singapore can be. It has a unique power worthy of the finest and rarest eaux-de-vie from the Founder’s Reserve, and above all, with that characteristic historic cellar signature, that only old eaux-de-vie that have spent over 60 years in our cellars can express.” Valtaud explained.
The Martell Limited Edition 60-Years-Old is housed in a bespoke Baccarat crystal decanter with a red bottle neck symbolic of Singapore’s flag. Each decanter is individually numbered from one through 12 and features a gold motif of the Vanda Miss Joaquim, intertwined with grapes from Cognac, symbolising the connection between Martell and Singapore. Each bottle is housed in a handcrafted oak wood case, the same material as that used for the barrel of the eaux-de-vie maturation.
During his recent trip to Singapore to present the Martell Limited Edition 60-Years-Old, we sat down with Martell Master Blender Aldrick Dehec to talk about the special creation and its significance to this century-old relationship.
This release marks a historic gesture — a 60-year-old cognac for Singapore’s 60th National Day. When you were first briefed on the project, what resonated with the team?
The first target for us was to create something very exclusive and rare, especially for Singapore. As a result, only 12 decanters are produced. Beyond creating something so rare and exclusive, this creation values and recognises the relationship between Martell and Singapore. The first connection between Martell and Singapore was established in 1871 when the first shipment from Cognac, France, arrived in Singapore.
With a relationship that dates back so long ago, how do you properly celebrate something so significant like this?
Just by way of the creation of this very limited bottle of cognac, and also using some very rare eaux-de-vie as part of this blend. The eaux-de-vie used are part of the Founder’s Reserve, which currently represents approximately 2% of the total stock of the Martell cellars. It’s very important to note that this marks the first time ever that these eaux-de-vie are blended together, and I’m almost certain that this will be the last time for these eaux-de-vie.
Was the team led by science or intuition during its blending process?
No, there’s no science involved in the blending process. It only aids us in analysing the chemical breakdown. The final person who decides on the blend is Christophe [Valtaud], according to his nose and taste.
Do you recall what came to your mind when you tasted the final blend for the first time?
It felt very real because we sampled and tested the different eaux-de-vie, and conducted some trials to achieve the final target. We arrived at the final blend at the end of last April, and Christophe was pleased and enjoyed the way it turned out. It corresponded with what he likes to produce — something very young with a lot of freshness and vivacity. It’s our impression of Singapore. The youngest eaux-de-vie is a grand champagne from 1965 [Singapore’s year of independence], while others are older than 100 years old.
And the bottle’s design is symbolic of the relationship as well.
Yes, you’ll notice Singapore’s beautiful national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim, intertwined with grapes from Cognac to reinforce the connection between the House and Singapore. It also reminds people that cognac is made from grapes. The decanter is specially made by Baccarat, the well-renowned French crystal producer, with a red neck symbolising the Singapore flag. Since there are only 12 of these produced, the decanters are individually numbered from one to 12. Everything is housed in a wooden box made from French oak trees that we use for our barrels.
Can you share more of the tasting notes?
There are four different stages of tasting. First, we analyse the cognac’s tint and colour. You’ll see this particular one veers towards dark amber with coppery reflections and a lot of buoyancy. Next, bring the glass close to your nose to smell the more volatile first aromas, which in this case are very expressive, concentrated and powerful — characteristics of old cellar notes.
After which, swirl the glass to reveal the tertiary aromas, which are more evolved. You’ll pick up concentrated notes of yellow stone fruits such as peaches and apricots. Even though Christophe chose some very old eaux-de-vie, the youngest from 1965 maintains its freshness and vivacity to achieve something very easy to nose and appreciate. When you swirl it again, it reveals very fruity notes that are part of the aromatic profile that Christophe chose to reveal in this blend for Singapore and typical of Martell’s [house] style.
Finally, we have a small sip. The mouth feel is wonderful, you’ll notice the freshness we kept. You’ll notice the attack is very full with some very soft spices coming from the wood that we use for the maturation. After, you get a long finish in the mouth that’s very sweet, rounded, smooth and fruity. There is an intensity of red and black fruits, such as white strawberries and black currants, which are very significant from the eaux-de-vie we used.
Whenever Christophe works on special creations such as this, does he already have an idea of what he wants to achieve, or is it an experimental process for him?
When Christophe received the information to produce this for Singapore, he already had an idea somewhere here [Aldric taps on his temple]. He’s the cellar master, and he knows everything, such as the eaux-de-vie stock levels in the cellar. However, we still need to conduct different trials and blends to achieve the best results possible.
What are some preparations the team takes to prepare for blending such a special creation?
Everything has to be taken care of in preparation for a blend like this — nobody in the team smokes, we don’t drink coffee or use fragrances. We conduct our work in L’Atelier in Cognac, a special testing room. On usual days, we test between 60 and 70 samples per day from Monday morning to Friday evening, and up to 120 during more intense periods.
What were the emotions within the team after the cognac was finally bottled and packaged?
It was very special when we discovered the packaging and decanter on the very night when it was bottled. More importantly, it was the client’s reactions after discovering the quality of the blend and cognac.
If this cognac is a message in a bottle to Singapore, what would it be saying?
This is not my response, but Christophe’s, which he sent me just before I left for Singapore. He said, “With this very limited edition [dedicated] for the 60 years of Singapore, I’d like to create a blend as emblematic as Singapore can be.” I think this is a very beautiful statement and very significant of the connection that exists between Martell and Singapore, spanning over 150 years.
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