🥃 Martell VSOP
Martell VSOP is a Cognac of the “Very Superior Old Pale” category: a blend whose youngest eau-de-vie spent at least four years in fine-grained French oak; no age statement on the label.
Martell VSOP is a Cognac from the Martell house in the “Very Superior Old Pale” category, one step above VS, and the bottle many people reach for when comparing VS and XO. According to Difford's Guide, it is a blend of Cognac eaux-de-vie, the youngest of which spent at least four years maturing in barrels of fine-grained French oak. There is no age statement on the label.
Martell distils only clear wines without lees from Ugni Blanc grapes and makes its barrels from Tronçais oak. Like all Cognacs, it is distilled twice in copper pot stills. Before bottling the blend rests in vats; for VS that is about a month, and the sources do not give an exact figure for VSOP. For comparison, look at the age of the youngest spirit.
Why this matters to you. VSOP is the middle of the range: older than VS, younger than Cordon Bleu and XO. Read the full name and the “Cognac” mark, because the range also includes Blue Swift, which is not a Cognac. The WHO reminds us: there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Legal basis | protected designation “Cognac” (Reg. (EU) 2019/787) |
|---|---|
| Raw material | clear white wines from Ugni Blanc |
| Distillation method | twice in copper pot stills; only clear wines without lees |
| Cask type | fine-grained French oak (Tronçais) |
| Minimum maturation | VSOP: youngest spirit at least 4 years (Difford's Guide) |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Martell VSOP → kind of → 🍇 Grape brandies → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🐝 French oak
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Martell, 🥃 Cognac, 🍇 Grape brandies
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Martell Cordon Bleu, 🥃 Martell VS, 🥃 Martell Cordon Bleu, 🥃 Martell VS, 🥃 Martell XO, 🥃 Martell XO, 🥃 Hors d'âge cognac
Frequently asked questions
Is VSOP a lower-grade XO?
No. It is a separate age category: in VSOP the youngest spirit is at least 4 years old, while in XO it is 10.
How is Cognac described on British and American labels, and which brandies are not Cognac?
Cognac is a protected name, so only brandy from that French area can use it; other grape brandies are sold simply as brandy. American brandy is a separate product and the two should not be confused on a shelf.
How is a Cognac like Martell VSOP usually taken in Britain?
Neat in small sips after dinner, in a tulip glass or a snifter; younger bottles are also used with ice or in cocktails. It is a slow drink, not one to gulp.
Is Blue Swift in the Martell range a Cognac?
No. The range also includes Blue Swift, which is not a Cognac, so read the full name and look for the Cognac mark.
What does the law behind the Cognac name actually protect?
The Cognac name is a protected designation under the EU spirit drinks regulation, so the origin on the label is what counts. Brand names or crests do not replace the word Cognac.
What to read next
- 🥃 Martell Cordon Bleu — Martell Cordon Bleu is the flagship Cognac of the Martell house at XO level, created in 1912: more than 100 spirits aged 10 to 25 years, about half from Borderies; 40% ABV.
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden vessel made of oak staves in which wine matures, picks up new aromas and slowly takes in air.
- 🥃 Hors d'âge cognac — Hors d'âge is an age mark on cognac: the youngest eau-de-vie in the blend has been aged in oak for at least 10 years, the same minimum as XO. It does not mean “older than XO”; only XXO is older, at 14 years or more.
Similar
🥃 Martell Cordon Bleu · 🥃 Martell VS · 🥃 Martell XO · 🥃 Grand Marnier Grande Cuvée Quintessence · 🥃 Macieira Five Star · 🥃 Christian Brothers Apple
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Difford's Guide: Martell VSOP (blend of eaux-de-vie, the youngest at least 4 years, fine-grained French oak)
- Difford's Guide: Martell Cognac Production (Ugni Blanc, clear wine, Tronçais oak, resting in vats: 1 month VS, 3 months Cordon Bleu, 4 months XO)
- Difford's Guide: Cognac Summarised (age designations, double distillation in copper pot stills, oak)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks (OJ L 130, 17.5.2019), Art. 2 and Annex I
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)