Ukrainian magazine Sommelier
TM Martell Bertrand Guinoiseaul
1. How long have you been working for Martell Company? For more than 25 years, and my father for 40 years...
2. What are your impressions (do you like the job, what did it bring to your life visiting new countries, meeting a lot of people etc)? What is it like – being representative of one of the most famous cognac TM?) It's great to share different cultures, to have friends all over the world, and to work for a leading and traditional Cognac house.
3. By your opinion, what are the characteristics (brand image/product quality/brand positioning), which distinguish TM Martell from its competitors? Martell Brand Truths An original cognac with a light and floral character, Martell has a distinctive smooth, rounded, well-balanced taste as a result of:
- Its unique blend:Martell uses only the best wine from the four top growing areas of Cognac, using a predominance of eaux-de-vie from the Borderies area, the smallest of the cognac growths of the "controlled appellation of origin" area
- Its unique distillation process: Martell controls every stage of the Cognac production process and unlike other cognacs, incorporates the“heads” and the“seconds” back into the wine for a double distillation
- Its unique ageing process: Martell uses fine Tron?ais type oak wood for its barrels, which makes mellower,lighter and more fragrant cognacs Martell Brand Values
- Independence of mind: illustrated by the personality and entrepreneurship of Jean Martell and his followers
- Innovation and creative know-how: evidenced by the creation of Cordon Bleu in 1912
- Pleasure of life and enjoyment: reflected in the perfect cognac taste and in the way of living in Cognac and across the world Brand Essence : An inspired and independant mind Luxury brands are brands which, through time, balance their origin and product superiority with the continuous research of an innovative emotional territory.
Martell is a luxury brand,with a character that can be expressed in the following way: Inner strength Honesty Imagination True elegance and refinement
4. Could you characterize/give a portrait of a person who drinks (here means“prefer”, “choose”) Martell? The portrait of a Martell drinker is an inspired and independent person who likes refinement.That person is confident and successful in his choices in life as well as discerning.
this person will choose Martell Cognac for its mellowness and smoothness, which is the result of our specific and unique way of distillation, the fact that we use in all our cognac a large proportion of Borderies, and the fact that we use for the ageing process only Tron?ais type oak wood barrels insread of Limousin ( As the grain of the Tron?ais wood is thinner, the cask will give less tannin, agressiveness, but more vanilla taste
5. What is the “right” way to drink cognac? Any way you like, with two ice cubes, or with tonic water, in a long drink glass before a meal or during the day, or neat as an after dinner drink. If I drink it neat, I personnally, will warm the glass slightly with my hand until there is no difference intemperature between my hand and the glass.
6. What are the products which go well (harmonize) with the cognac? As my father's generation used to say, the best harmonisation is the four C's.... Cafe, Cognac, Cigar, and Chocolate... He used to add a fifth one, which was good "Company" Saying that, more seriously, a Martell VSOP will perfectly match a plate of lumpfish roe or smoked salmon as a starter. You may also select it if you are going to enjoy a dish of prawns with a pineapple sauce or some spring rolls with crunchy vegetables. A Cordon Bleu will highlight a chocolate desert from the flowered and spicy scents
7. Do you prefer to drink cognac “straight” or mixed (in cocktails)? What about the world trends? See question N?5 I think that more and more people enjoy it with ice, or as a cocktail. In Asia, the traditional way is to drink Cognac with water and ice before, during, and after dinner (they don't like to mix drinks...) In the Americas, the traditional way is straight as an after dinner, but the Afro-American will drink it with lemonade or cola. Same in Mexico, one of our key markets where the 21-45 years old drink it with cola (We call it a "Paris by Night") In Europe, the traditional way is straight as an after dinner, or with ice and water, but , the modern way is either with Tonic water, or Ginger Ale, or in simple cocktails.
8. What do you think about a “category competition” – between cognac and whisky: is it serious? Who is winning? I sincerely don't think that Cognac category competes with theWhisky category. One is made out of grapes, the other one out of grain.Both correspond to different moments and needstates for the consumer. I may say that Champagne, made out of grapes, in some markets may compete with Cognac, but the target is different. What is sure is that people prefer to drink less, but better quality.
9. By your opinion, the change of packaging for Martell XO – what were the outcomes? Did it contribute much to a brand positioning (premiumization) and development in general? Did it cause a sales growth? Martell decided to develop a new XO on the prestige/status dimension, to add to the range, in order to have a comprehensive product offering, (tastewise and in term of packaging), for all consumers and all occasions. This outstanding new product provides the bridge from Cognac tradition and heritage to today's lifestyles and tastes.
10. We have very positive consumer reactions: - Very visually distinctive design, which characterizes this bottle from competitors. - A breakthrough from existing bottle designs, full of imagination. New Martell XO combines a sculptured creative bottle and an exquisite statutory cognac.It's not only about achievement and status, but also about celebrating the spirit of the inspired entrepreneur. The outcomes are: - Strong visual impact of the product - Powerful Brand message, different and unique - Very good persuasion scores with a high overall liking 10. Cognac in France: consumption, popularity – have they changed during recent 10-15 years? According to IWSR, French cognac consumption in 2005 was 412000 c/s 9L00 France is the n?6 biggest market worldwide, but is mainly a VS market ( 77% versus 17% for VSOP and 6% for XO category) French cognac consumption is down 2.6% over the past 12 years. That being said, the market remains important for us as a "display show case" for our brand. People visiting the country have to be able to drink their favorite Martell blend in a major hotel or restaurant.
11. Your recommendations/whishes for the Ukrainian consumers and readers of Sommelier magazine. I would tell you that Cognac is like perfume. It is not the most expensive one which is the best, but the one you like... If I give a very floraly and spicy perfume to an Ukrainian teenager girl, I don't think she will enjoy it, and I am quite sure, that as soon as I will leave her, she will wrap it up, and give it to her mother or grandmother, as she is looking for some fresh, fruity and light fragrances.. With cognac, its the same. you have to taste and compare a regular Cognac, to premium brand, understand, what we mean by fruity, spicy, or floral, and you will see a lot of difference...
o what to do in the near future with friends, compare any brands with Martell, and you will understand it's tipicity and uniqueness...
