Martell by Uncle Lai: The Story Behind a 1980s Cordon Bleu
Uncle Lai's Martell: The Story Behind an 80s Cordon Bleu
Uncle Lai is seventy-five this year. Before retirement, he spent most of his life in the construction industry, working as a contractor for over thirty years. His hands are as rough as sandpaper; when you shake them, you can feel the calluses left by the years. But when he talks about wine, his eyes soften.
Uncle Lai's wife passed away half a year ago. After discussing it, his two children decided to help their father move into a smaller apartment for easier care. The old house needed to be cleared, and decades of belongings had to be packed up one by one. Uncle Lai sat in the living room, watching his children move things, not really wanting to move himself.
Time Under the Dining Room Cabinet
"Dad, are you still drinking these wines?" His daughter pulled out two boxes from the depths of a low cabinet in the dining room. The red box surfaces were a bit peeled, but overall, they were well-preserved. Opening them, she found two bottles of Martell Cordon Bleu — what insiders call the "Red Sun" version.
Uncle Lai took the bottles, turned them twice, and suddenly smiled: "This one... I must have bought it around '83, '84. That time, I landed a big project, so I treated all my brothers to a celebratory dinner. I bought four bottles, we drank two, and the remaining two have been sitting here ever since."
He remembered the events of forty years ago clearly. He could even recall the name of the restaurant and had a vivid memory of which table they sat at. His wife wore a dark red cheongsam that night because she said one should dress formally to drink cognac.
What's Different About 80s Cordon Bleu?
Hong Kong Collectibles received a WhatsApp message from Uncle Lai's daughter, with several photos attached. We immediately knew these two bottles had some age – early 1980s Martell Cordon Bleu, which has noticeable differences from the versions available on the market today:
- Cap Design: The 1980s version used a metal screw cap with a plastic seal, rather than the later common combination of a cork and metal cap. The swallow emblem on the top of the cap was more deeply embossed, with more refined edge craftsmanship.
- Label Font: The "Cordon Bleu" font was bolder, positioned higher, and had the old French origin marking at the bottom, making it distinctly different from versions produced after the 1990s.
- Liquid Color: After decades of slow oxidation, the liquid displayed a deep amber color, significantly darker than new spirits. This is a mark left by time, not a quality issue.
- Volume Marking: The old version used "70cl" marking, with a different print location than the current version, which is also an important clue for identifying its age.
For collectors, Cordon Bleu produced in the 1980s holds unique value – the blending proportions of the base spirits used in that era are different from today, creating flavor characteristics that cannot be replicated. Coupled with well-preserved original boxes, such wines have a stable demand in the secondary market.
Not Selling Wine, But Settling Memories
The day we visited to inspect the wine, Uncle Lai sat beside us the whole time. He didn't ask about the price, but instead asked us, "After you take them, who will you sell them to?"
My colleague said it's usually collectors who appreciate wine; some like to open and drink them, others simply enjoy collecting old versions. Uncle Lai nodded, seemingly finding the answer acceptable.
"When my wife was alive, she often said these two bottles were taking up space and told me to find someone to drink them. I told her I'd keep them to open on the night my two children got married. Who knew forty years would pass, and they ended up drinking red wine on their wedding nights." When he said this, his tone was calm, but you could hear a lot behind it.
Valuation Process
We thoroughly inspected the two bottles:
- Seal Integrity: Both caps showed no signs of loosening or leakage; they still had resistance when turned, indicating good sealing.
- Liquid Level: Observing through the bottle, the liquid level was normal, with no significant evaporation. This is very important – if the liquid level drops too much, it usually indicates a sealing problem.
- Packaging Condition: Although the original boxes showed slight signs of aging, their structure was intact, and the inner lining was free from mold or dampness. The value can differ by more than 20% with or without the original box.
- Storage Environment: The low cabinet in Uncle Lai's home was in the shade, away from direct sunlight for many years, and the temperature was relatively stable. This unintentionally ideal storage condition was actually better than some people who intentionally put them in display cabinets but exposed them to light for extended periods.
The final valuation was quite a bit higher than Uncle Lai expected. His daughter was a little surprised: "Wow, these two bottles are worth so much?" Uncle Lai, however, showed little reaction, only saying: "They weren't cheap when I bought them, several hundred dollars a bottle. Several hundred dollars in the eighties was a big deal."
In Closing
When clearing out items during a move, many people's first thought is "Does anyone still want this stuff?" But sometimes, what's truly worth paying attention to are the items you think are worthless, but which there's a specialized market for.
If you also have similar old wines or aged foreign spirits at home and are unsure of their value, feel free to WhatsApp Hong Kong Collectibles at 94530784 for a chat. Send us a few photos, and we can initially help you determine the vintage and market value, free of charge.
Uncle Lai ultimately chose to keep an old photo – the one of his wife in the dark red cheongsam that night. He could give away the wine, but he held onto the memories himself.
