Signature experience — Cognac
The great cognac houses
Duration
Full day
Price
From €750
Mercedes
Dedicated vehicle & chauffeur
Between the livelier right bank and the quieter quays, the Charente sets the pace for the great cognac houses. Hennessy has ferried casks across the river since 1856; Martell has distilled its story from 1715 at Porte Chapon; Rémy Martin matures Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie in tight‑grain oak that nurtures rancio notes. Even the cellar humidity changes the nose: walnut here, dried fruit there. Jarnac, 15 minutes away, still hints at Courvoisier’s imperial chapter. Short drives; long timelines.
Your driver meets you at your Cognac hotel in a Mercedes and handles everything: timed entries, river crossings, waiting during tastings. You tour while he drives—easy. The day flows Hennessy on the left bank, then Martell 900 meters away, before Rémy Martin in Merpins, 10 minutes south. Around noon, pause at a riverside guinguette in Châteaubernard. In Cognac, a private chauffeur smooths access to secured gates and can reorder visits with the weather, cellar availability, or your taste for older blends.
Your itinerary
- I
09:30 — Pick-up at your Cognac hotel and drive to Hennessy on Quai des Flamands, river crossing included.
- II
11:15 — Martell, tour of the Foundation and the Jean Martell cellar, 75 minutes.
- III
13:00 — Riverside lunch in Châteaubernard, reserved terrace table, 1h15.
- IV
15:00 — Rémy Martin in Merpins for an XO tasting with an archival decanter, back to the hotel around 17:00.
What’s included
- ✓ Dedicated French-speaking driver
- ✓ Mercedes E-Class or V-Class
- ✓ Hotel pick-up
- ✓ Waiting during tastings
Your chauffeur’s tip
Book Hennessy morning slots on weekdays: the river barge is quieter and the cellar humidity is more perceptible, sharpening those mushroom and rancio notes.
Book this experience
Confirmed within 30 minutes · Fixed price quoted in advance