La Maison G.H. Martel & Cie was founded in 1869 by a harvesting owner from Avenay Val d’Or, a small town a few miles from Epernay. The brand of the same name developed by the Tabourin family paved the way to success.
In the late 19th Century, Léopold Tabourin, who originated from the Jura, was sent by his employer Auguste Devaux, a sparkling wine merchant in Lons-le-Saunier, on an oenology and information course in Champagne. In 1894, on the death of Auguste Devaux, H.L. Tabourin founded a Champagne house in Dizy in association with Mr. Devaux’ widow, using her name and title as a trademark.
Champagne Veuve A. Devaux reached the height of its success in the Belle Epoque. In 1910, H.L. Tabourin filled a million bottles, while shipments exceeded 200,000 bottles. When Madame Veuve Devaux’ children reached the age of majority, H.L. Tabourin left the House that he had co-founded and worked with his son to develop the G.H. Martel & Cie trademark, which he had bought in the early 1920’s.
Four years before his death, his grandson Guy – Gérard Tabourin, born in 1929, joined the family House, which was shipping only 75,000 bottles. Under his impetus, shipments began to grow once again to reach approximately 200,000 bottles, more than half of which (56%) were for the export markets.
In 1979, the death of André Tabourin posed the difficult problem of succession that is often fatal to family companies. The House of Ernest Rapeneau acquired a majority shareholding in G.H. Martel with the aim of establishing G.H. Martel & Cie as the spearhead for its activities in Champagne.
The Rapeneau family originated from the Marne department and had been specialising in the wine trade since the first half of the 19th Century. In 1901, Ernest Louis Rapeneau founded a wines, spirits and champagnes company in association with Julien Jacquot. His son Ernest – Emile, born in 1900, took part in the life of the House, proving to be an active merchant and an astute businessman.
In 1925, as he moved towards the production and sale of sparkling wines, Ernest - Emile founded a new company that was to enjoy a remarkable expansion. After fifty years of intense activity, he finally retired from business in 1965, leaving the running of the company to two of his sons, François and Bernard, who had joined the House in 1944. Under Bernard Rapeneau, sales took off, rising to over 2 million bottles in the early 1980’s.
On the strength of this success, the new G.H. Martel & Cie Group now extends over a large stock of vineyards planted with Chardonnay and Pinot. The company has three traditional pressing centres, 20,000 m2 of cellars and 55,000 hl of vats, some of which are of the most modern stainless steel design with temperature regulation.
The personality of G.H. Martel & Cie Champagne is based on the know-how of the Rapeneau family, which has been involved in making this white wine for five generations. Cellar-master and oenologist Christophe, Bernard’s younger son, now runs the House, while his older son, Jean-François, is responsible for the sales development of the brand.
PRIMER CRU
Blend: 40 % Chardonnay, 60 % Pinot Noir
Tasting notes
This Champagne has a freshness and liveliness on the nose that is suggestive of a dominance of Chardonnay. The taste is therefore surprising as it takes us into a completely different register, with tropical flavours in which the Pinot Noir explodes…
Size: 75 CL
Alcohol: 12%Vol.
