Preserving a heritage, protecting a future​

Nature takes its time. And so does Martell’s savoir-faire. Maison Martell, one of France’s great cognac houses with over 300 years of uninterrupted history, stands apart for understanding the value of a long-term and sustainable approach. ​
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Sustainability is imbued across every facet of Martell’s endeavours. From promoting and protecting the majestic forests around the Cognac region, to supporting the winegrowers, artisans and the community at large, and in the production of refined cognacs renowned the world over.

Reflecting the importance of nature and the environment to Martell cognacs, the House has fostered an enduring and essential partnership with France’s National Forestry Office.​
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Martell cognacs are matured in fine-grained oak barrels, crafted from cecillus oaks hand-selected by Cellar Master Christophe Valtaud. This variety of oak, which may be up to 200 years old, contains the qualities that forge the character of Martell cognacs. ​
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Maison Martell is the only cognac house to exclusively use such fine-grained oak in its barrels. This fine grain is essential to the ageing process, ensuring aromas take longer to form, which imparts a specific subtlety to each and every bottle.​
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After their use in the aging process, barrels are recycled into tools that protect the oak tree roots, and for artistic creation.​
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In France, Martell has been a long-standing patron of the National Forestry Office, which serves to protect and value forests around the country. ​
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Together, through awareness campaigns and other ativities, they work to make these forests a sustainable place that respect the cycle of nature. In such ways, conservation of these remarkable, centuries-old trees becomes part of an inestimable patrimony.​

If preserving these majestic oak forests is vital, so too is the protection of Cognac’s famous vines. For more than three centuries, these region’s exceptional vines have grown in accordance to the rhythm of natural seasons. ​
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Efforts are now underway to certify 100% of the Cognac region’s terroir as sustainable within a decade. ​
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Martell was among the first cognac houses to fully certify its 450 hectares of vineyards as sustainable. Today it shares its expertise, taking a leading role in efforts to extend the eco-labelling across the length and breadth of the region’s vines.

Central to these efforts are the communities that live and work in, and around, the Cognac AOC region. ​

Here, Martell’s ongoing commitment to research and innovation in sustainability delivers benefits to the region as a whole.

Martell tests new protocols on its own wine estates, and once results are conclusive, shares these to build a combined future, based on common values, interests and a consciousness.​

For its partners, it creates support programs to help find viticulture workers, while encouraging the adoption of new viticultural practices that are always more thoughtful and committed.​