Deers, Fine dining, cognac pairings; my experience at Martell’s Château de Chanteloup

As published on Luxuriate Life

A crackling fireplace, vintage oak furniture, the faint hug of cigar smoke; this is where I would think cognac has a home. But pairing it alongside a 20-course dinner, cooked by 3-Michelin starred chef Alexandre Mazzia? This was something entirely new. 

Luxury cognac brand Martell have, for the first time, opened up their beautifully renovated heritage maison Château de Chanteloup. This gastronomic experience is set within the 18th century walls of the Château, the very birthplace of Jean Martell’s journey into curating some of the world’s best cognac. The experience takes diners through a culinary journey, each dish paired with rare vintage reserves of eaux-de-vie, handpicked by Martel’s cellar master, Christophe Valtauld.

About Signature Martell par Alexandre Mazzia at the Château de Chanteloup 

The launch of Martell’s Signature Martell par Alexandre Mazzia reads like a fairytale.

Within the enchanted Château de Chanteloup deer roam the grounds and 18th-century tapestries line the walls. Behind the doors awaits six seats for six guests seeking to taste exquisite dishes cooked and served by, three-Micheline starred Alexandre Mazzia. It is an intimate experience, opening up the chance to personally interact with one of the world’s most established chefs.

Pairing Vintage Cognac with Contemporary Fine Dining Cuisine 

There is a fine line between blending classic with contemporary. Alexandre’s menu is daring, catapulting classic French opulence into the 21st century. The collaboration between Martel and Alexandre was least expected by Martel’s Cellar Master, Christophe Valtaud.

‘This was not a collaboration I foresaw’, Christoph tells me. ‘But, when I tasted the savoury, subtly bitter edges of Alexandre’s cooking, I knew the pairing was right.’ Together, the two have spent the year crafting an experience which sings to the synergy of old and new. 

The harmonious marriage of these two worlds is reflected in the very room guests dine in. Historical though the château may be, its modern touches stem from the work of Spanish designer Jorge Penadés. Penadés takes influence from the aged romanticism of the cellars, as well as the timeless setting of Cognac countryside, and breathes life into it by fashioning a scenography that eases the space into diners' consciousness, transforming slowly in front of guests eyes. The result is a setting that bows to both the old and new. 

Good food evokes memories. The best food builds new ones. 

The Signature Martell par Alexandre Mazzia Dining Experience

Never before had I considered how dining is a personal experience. It is a delicate dance; the chef wants to imbue their menu with an emotional backstory, whilst inviting the diner to illicit a memory of their own. 

Alexandre’s childhood memories of roaming Cognac countryside, fishing the seas with his grandfather swell with spices from the Congo region in which he was raised. This is, of course, a mile away from my fairly tepid childhood of meat and two veg in the West Midland countryside. Yet there were moments of familiarity, imbuing luxury with the warm hug of comfortability. 

Our night began in the Château’s bar, overlooking the sunset as deer grazed in the background. A signature cognac cocktail created by Christophe Valtaud and Martell Master Mixologist Rémy Savage is served. It is the perfect introduction to cognac: notes of apple and caramel blend with oaky notes of cognac, a fitting drink for the late-September turn from Summer into Autumn. 

The Martell Experience sheds all of the stuffy, pretentious dressing one might expect to find on a three-Michelin starred plate. The dining room is modelled upon a classic, family-home French room and overlooks an open kitchen wherein Alexandre and his team calmly and quietly conjure up 20 intricate dishes. Only six seats are available, and the decor is relatively minimal, bar the 18th-century tapestry from Martell’s private collection. The invitation is clear: focus on the food in front of you, and the people around you. 

I could easily write 1000 words on the menu alone. The ingredient list is extensive, the flavour combinations dizzying. The food is miles away from French fine dining, although not entirely void of nods to classic techniques Alexandre was trained by. 

There are no starters or mains, amuse bouches or palette cleaners. Instead, the courses are a journey; each serving signals the commencement of a different venture into taste and texture. The voyage begins with forages of the sea. Marine plants, shellfish, nori seaweed are brought together in a bejewelled purple bite that reminds me of some exotic marine species. An oyster leaf beds samphire and caviar and curry; a bite is like a dip into the Indian ocean. Nasturtium sorbet is also served. It tastes just like the green Martell acres twinkling in late-Summer sun. 

Many more unfamiliar foods are served over the course of three hours. Some are light and delicate; the plump red gamberos shimmer in the freshest tomato water, melting on the tongue. Some are boundary testing: sweet langoustine with a rich pork and beetroot jus just about holds down the luxury of the dish, without overbalancing the delicate nuttiness of langoustine. Others are downright mind boggling - I may have turned my nose up at watermelon flambeed with cognac, served small, toffee-like grains, if I were described the dish first. However, one mouthful in and I’m gone, the plate scraped clean.

The brilliance of the dishes isn't simply that cognac is used to flavour them. Rather, the flavour profiles are designed to enhance the flavours of the paired cognac, and vice versa. During dessert we’re served a smoother, chilled cognac alongside a coffee ice cream, speared with a crystalised tobacco leaf. Eating tobacco was a first for me; I’m more used to catching whiffs of the stuff at 6pm on Bond Street. I can assure you the two are very different. It was malty, like a bittersweet caramel mixed with cacao nibs. Nibbled on in between sips of ice cold cognac made for a sophisticated mouthful of pure, adult heaven. 

The Martell Cognac Pairing

The Martell Experience is notably unique, not simply for its food. Most of us like to know where our food comes from; fresh produce from local suppliers is undoubtedly the best sort. Alexandre himself furtively ensures his ingredients are sourced from small businesses in proximity to the Cognac region. Sadly, our beverages often do not get this same level of scrutiny. Until you experience the Signature Martell par Alexandre Mazzia.

At Maison Martell there is a subtle proudness that lines the walls. The cognac served alongside the food is distilled and blended only a few miles away, stored in vaults on Château de Chanteloup. It is a vintage collection of Martell’s reserves, with some blends dating back centuries.

Experience the best of timeless vintage and world class modernism with Signature Martell par Alexandre Mazzia

I am a firm believer that certain dinners can change you. Perhaps you learn to like a new ingredient. Maybe you build a bond with a total stranger. For me, it was the understanding of how key memories are in eating.

Cellar Master Christoph must pay homage to Cellar Masters before him by ensuring his new blends work with the cognac’s ancestry - his new blends can only succeed by bowing to the old. In the same way, the Martell Experience must tie nostalgic memories of the Maison, the chef and the diner to craft a new memory which lives on outside the walls of Château de Chanteloup.

There are moments that may challenge you; cognac would never have previously been my drink of choice to pair alongside a meal. Pushing my boundaries meant I have now gained a completely new understanding of the marriage between the two. 

I was not the only one in the room to feel the need to push through my comfort zone. Alexandre, who personally serves and engages with diners with a comforting smile and polite nod, later told me that he does not like to show off, or draw attention to himself - his personality is naturally quiet and reserved. Yet he pushes himself to engage and interact, never letting the stresses of the kitchen cast shadow over the diner. 

His commitment crafts the best - not just in the food, but within the diner. 

The Martell Experience costs £500 per head, or £3000 for the private dining space. The additional cognac testing and cognac blending experiences can be purchased for an additional price. 

The Château os open Tuesday dinner, and Wednesday through to Saturday lunch and dinner, by reservation only: https://mar.tl/chanteloup

Wines and Champagnes may also be served upon request.