What a presentation—a magnificent piece!
But how did this cognac end up in such a decanter? In 2019, someone had a clever idea: Why not present very old, precious spirits in appropriately elegant packaging? No sooner said than done, this person founded the "Luxury Old Spirit Company" in Edinburgh.
Only a few old bottles were decanted into matching, exquisite decanters, including some whiskies like a 1940 Macallan. Our Martell is almost the only cognac to have been bottled in this way—like all these bottles, it's "Number 1" of a limited edition of just one. In this case, they used a beautiful, hand-engraved crystal decanter from Claret, dating from around 1920:
"This wine decanter was made in the late 19th/early 20th century. Cut glass with beautiful, unique filigree work. The metal parts were often made with alloys such as copper, tin, and silver. The jug is made of copper and has been silver-plated. The cut crystal sits on a very attractive setting."
But what exactly is in it? Conveniently, it's not very difficult to find a bottle of Martell 1909: http://vieuxcognacs.com/Martell/Martell.html
Presumably, someone once won an auction for a VVSOP, that is, the 40-year-old 1909 vintage – you can see such a bottle in the upper right.
Had something like this been offered around the year 2000, when the Russians were still buying up the market, I wouldn't have offered the bottle for less than €10,000 to €15,000. But that's precisely the point: I wouldn't have been able to get the bottle. It came from a bankruptcy sale because someone overextended themselves and couldn't find the right buyer quickly enough. This company in Edinburgh had a good idea, but it was simply so much work for just one bottle—it wasn't economically viable.
Such a presentation for just one bottle costs a four-figure sum—the decanter alone is around €200. Who would do something like that for just one bottle? I also once acquired a Chabanneau 1850 from this series—back then on eBay:
https://www.calvados.de/de/cognac-pierre-chabanneau-1850.html
But the trail leads to the East, where someone wanted to preserve their old collection for posterity. A brilliant idea: simply refilling often dilapidated old bottles with exquisite, exclusive, and loving care, restoring their original, valuable appearance!
Comes with a certificate of authenticity from the auction house.
