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Martell XO Cognac

Customer

Martell

Origin

France

Expertise

Glass distribution, flatness of sides, mould cooling

The Distinctive Shape

With its bold design and intense character, Martell XO reflects the heritage and style of Maison Martell, one of France’s oldest cognac houses.

The cognac combines the power and intensity of Grande Champagne eaux-de-vie with the elegance of the rare Borderies cru, a signature of Maison Martell for more than 300 years.

Its bottle is just as recognisable as the cognac itself. The pronounced arch, broad body and refined embossed details give Martell XO its distinctive appearance. The design brings a contemporary character to a cognac rooted in centuries of French tradition.

Behind the striking shape, however, lies a demanding glass manufacturing process. The combination of large, relatively thin walls, an unusual geometry and precise decorative details required particular attention during development and production.

The Challenge

The most demanding aspect of the Martell XO bottle was achieving consistent glass distribution across its complex shape.

The pronounced arch and broad, thin-walled surfaces made it difficult to maintain the required dimensions and ensure that the sides remained flat. Even small variations in glass distribution or cooling could affect the bottle’s final geometry.

Dimensional accuracy was particularly important. The development team carried out extensive measurements of the bottle’s dimensions and radii to ensure compatibility with existing components and equipment on the customer’s bottling lines.

At the same time, the bottle’s embossed details had to retain their definition without compromising the glass structure.

The challenge was therefore not simply to reproduce the shape, but to maintain the required flatness, dimensional consistency and glass quality throughout industrial production.

Cooling Right

Vaider Group (formerly HRASTNIK1860) approached the project through a series of dimensional studies, production trials and adjustments to the mould equipment.

Numerous mock-ups were prepared, followed by trials involving different production settings and modifications to both the blank and blow moulds. These helped the development team assess how the glass behaved during forming and cooling.

Temperature control proved especially important. When the glass remained too hot, shrinkage and deformation could affect the flatness of the bottle’s sides. Excessive cooling, however, introduced other production difficulties.

To address these challenges, the team developed specific cooling solutions, including special cooling bridges, custom-built cooling pipes and optimised cooling grooves in the moulds.

These adjustments allowed more precise control of the cooling process and helped maintain the straightness of the bottle’s broad surfaces while preserving its characteristic arch.

The project also involved meeting increased quality requirements for the final market. Vaider Group achieved the required quality level within the first two production runs, delivering a result that met the customer’s expectations.