In 2022, Maison Martell began a series of exclusive releases that pay tribute to the animals in the Chinese zodiac. That year, the maison unveiled the L’Or de Jean Martell Zodiac Edition – Assemblage du Tigre. This was followed by the L’Or de Jean Martell Zodiac Edition – Assemblage du Lapin in 2023, and then the L’Or de Jean Martell Zodiac Edition – Assemblage du Dragon last year. Every single release has been particularly limited, as each utilises a blend of hundreds upon hundreds of rare and precious eaux-de-vie, as well as selected eaux-de-vie from years of the tiger, rabbit and dragon, respectively. Each edition became instant collector’s items for their craftsmanship, breathtaking decanter and packaging aesthetics and, of course, the sublime flavour profile of the cognac.
This year, the next chapter of the Zodiac Editions is the Assemblage du Serpent, of which only 500 units will be available worldwide and each bottle will be individually numbered. Recently, Robb Report Malaysia visited a one-weekend-only pop-up event in Singapore, titled The Golden Age Journey, to learn more about the history of Maison Martell, see all four Zodiac Editions gathered together in the same room (an extremely rare occurrence), and savour the wonders of the L’Or de Jean Martell Zodiac Edition – Assemblage du Serpent. Indeed, the god of fortune smiled on us that day.
View more pictures from the event
The Golden Age Journey was organised around the five elements associated with the Chinese zodiac: gold, water, earth, fire and wood. As guests progressed from one space to the next, they would be immersed in the history, savoir-faire and craftsmanship of L’Or de Jean Martell. The journey began through a tunnel in the shape of a golden drop of cognac, with multi-colour serpentine scales all around. The first space took guests on a trip down memory lane to 1715, when 21-year-old Englishman Jean Martell left his native Jersey Island and settled in Cognac, France, and established Maison Martell. Here, we saw archival pieces and vintage advertisements—including many used in Singapore from several decades ago. Of course, the highlights of this historical section were the very first L’Or de Jean Martell that was released in 1992; a new decanter for the L’Or de Jean Martell in 2009; and the L’Or de Jean Martell—Réserve du Château Chanteloup, released in 2023.
From there, guests entered a space filled with light—to see the golden shades of the cognac from a different perspective—and the sounds of rushing water. The pop-up event space then opened up into a multi-sensory delight featuring several interactive installations. We headed to the closest one, in which several transparent and four golden baubles were suspended in the air, resembling the graceful flow of water and the movement of a snake. We were encouraged to get up close and really personal to the golden baubles—because each had different smells, all of which combined to showcase the complex aroma of the Cognac region and of L’Or de Jean Martell. Just behind the baubles was a giant video wall, beautifully depicting the different terroirs (or crus) in Cognac that produce eaux-de-vie. L’Or de Jean Martell – Assemblage du Serpent is a blend of more than 1,400 of these precious elixirs that are meticulously selected by Cellar Master Christophe Valtaud (pictured below) from four terroirs: Fins Bois, Petite Champagne, Grande Champagne, and Borderies.
In the next installation, a wall of actual fine-grained oak barrels invited guests to touch and smell a crucial element in the creation of cognac. Maison Martell is renowned for its decision to age its eaux-de-vie exclusively in this kind of oak, as it has a low concentration of tannins and, thus, results in blends that are delicate, refined and elegant. With L’Or de Jean Martell – Assemblage du Serpent, 300-year-old fine-grained oak barrels are used, from wood sourced from a well-preserved and sustainably managed forest.
Next, we stepped into the inner sanctum—the tasting area, featuring Assemblage du Serpent as the centrepiece, and Assemblage du Tigre, Assemblage du Lapin, and Assemblage du Dragon gathered in positions of pride. The Assemblage du Serpent is housed in a mouth-blown Baccarat crystal decanter, in the shape of a drop of cognac, with a red crystal crown stopper, in the shape of a snake’s head. The decanter’s neck is wrapped in 19-carat gold, engraved with a snakeskin pattern. Aldrick Dehec, Martell’s Master Blender, was on-hand to guide us through its tasting. He explained that Valtaud, his colleagues, and he went to great lengths to select eaux-de-vie from past years of the snake and then combined them with the original blend of L’Or du Jean Martell, which boasts more than 1,400 eaux-de-vie from four of Cognac’s finest terroirs.
“I’d say that it was a kind of challenge, to find eaux-de-vie from past years of the snake and to balance that with the base of L’Or du Jean Martell. We had 150 to 200 batches of eaux-de-vie corresponding to different years of the snake, with the oldest coming from 1929,” Dehec explained. “But the important thing was that the final blend, the Assemblage du Serpent, corresponds in terms of taste, aroma and sensation to the characteristics of the snake.
“You may find the freshness of the cognac very surprising. Even though we used very, very old eaux-de-vie, we managed to maintain the freshness of the cognac and its aromatic profile,” Dehec added, as he invited us to take our first sips. “The freshness and the fruitiness in the Assemblage du Serpent is typical of the entire range of cognacs from Maison Martell.” It has a deep amber colour, and an aroma that is fresh, delicate and redolent of Cognac vineyards. On the palate, Assemblage du Serpent is superb—it is very well balanced, refreshing and bearing elegant layers of fruitiness. It is refined and structured, with hints of spiciness emanating from the fine-grained oak. Whereas the Assemblage du Tigre is described as powerful and full of vivacity, the Assemblage du Lapin softer and lighter, and the Assemblage du Dragon warm and imposing grandeur, the Assemblage du Serpent is delicate, smooth and refreshing.
With the tasting over (unfortunately), we ventured out into the final two areas. The first featured a giant golden wishing tree, with a scintillating serpent coiled around the bark. Here, we are invited to write our wishes for the year ahead and to hang it on one of the branches. After we hung up our wishes, we entered the second area—a cocktail bar, featuring some of Maison Martell’s finest alchemised into festive, delightful beverages. With old and new friends alike, it was a fitting way to end The Golden Age Journey experience—and to raise our anticipation for next year’s release even higher than before. Dehec said that the blend for the Horse edition is already ready, and resting in a special cellar, and that he and his colleagues will begin work on 2027’s year of the goat edition very soon.
“L’Or de Jean Martell Zodiac Edition – Assemblage du Serpent is a very good showcase of Maison Martell,” Dehec said in parting. “The way we manage our vineyards, how we distil without lees, the way we preserve the freshness and the fruitiness of the grapes, how we age our eaux-de-vie in fine-grained oak barrels—our values of craftsmanship are all very well represented in this cognac. It’s a very good résumé of our best practices.”
For more information, visit the Assemblage du Serpent website or the Maison Martell website.
Lead image: The L’Or de Jean Martell Zodiac Edition – Assemblage du Serpent on display during The Golden Age Journey pop-up held in Singapore recently.
