To mark its 300th anniversary, Martell House celebrated its origins in Cognac, and in particular in the Château de Chanteloup, which was refurbished for the event.

French singer-songwriter Louis Bertignac played at the event.

Over 2,500 winegrowers, distillers and other partners from the Cognac region in France received personal invitations to the event. Martell employees criss-crossed the Charente countryside in branded trucks to hand-deliver the invitations.

“This is a very special year for Martell, which is celebrating three centuries of cognac-making and close bonds with the people of Cognac,” said César Giron, Chairman and CEO of Martell House, in a press release. “We wanted to invite all the local partners with whom we have nurtured a truly remarkable partnership for nearly ten generations.”

Guests were treated to a surprise at the start of the evening when two fighter jets roared across the Cognac sky, followed by three planes from the “Cartouche Doré,” a squadron of seasoned flight instructors from the French air force flight academy in Cognac.

The squadron is considered the “little brother” of the Patrouille de France aerobatics team, which put on a demonstration for guests during the May 20 event in Versailles. Two Cap Ten aerobatic planes then wrote out the number “300” in white smoke before dropping three parachutists – carrying flags marked with Martell colours – who joined the guests and presented César Giron and Alexandre Ricard with bottles of the limited edition cognac given to guests as a gift.

This 40-minute airshow was crowned by a fireworks display.

In an decor reminding of Versailles, the company said, guests had the chance to enjoy cocktails created especially for Martell’s 300th anniversary by Thierry Hernandez (head barman at the famous Plaza Athenée).

The 3,200 guests shared a custom-crafted culinary experience developed in collaboration with the Château de Chanteloup’s chefs Eric Danger and Pascal Nebout. The menu featured specialties from the region, with emphasis on local seasonal products, as well as contemporary takes on recipes dating from 1715.

The night’s concert was punctuated, the company said, by the arrival of French singer-songwriter Louis Bertignac (a founding member of the group Telephone), a friend of the House.

Each guest received an exclusive limited edition cognac, a blend of fifteen eaux-de-vie from the five main crus, spanning the last three centuries.