G.H. Martel & Co

History

According to the house, Gustav Heinrich Martel, a grower in Avenay-Val-d'Or, founded the house under his name in 1869.¹ In the early 1920s he sold it to the Tabourin family; Henry-Léopold Tabourin had earlier set up the Veuve A. Devaux brand after the death of Auguste Devaux in 1894.¹ In 1979, when the death of André Tabourin left the succession open, Ernest Emile Rapeneau bought the house.¹ His sons François and Bernard later took over; the house names Jean-Rémy, Vincent, Paul-Alexandre and Charles Henry among the third and fourth generations.¹

Sites, vineyard and volume

The Union des Maisons de Champagne gives the seat at 17 rue des Créneaux in Reims and 58 ha of own vines.² The house's home page also places it on the avenue de Champagne in Épernay and says the family vineyard spreads over 64 villages and is certified HVE level 3.⁴ It states sales of more than 2 million bottles in France and Europe and presents its Reims chalk pits (crayères) as part of the UNESCO World Heritage site.¹ See crayère.

Group and brands

The UMC lists the house in the Martel & Cie group, together with Charles de Cazanove, and names the brands Comte de Noiron, Balahu, Charles du Roy and Maxim's.^2,5