Our team
David
Owner
Born in 1970, David discovers the world of wines and spirits in 1991 while studying in the United States.
The experience profoundly shapes his ambitions. From that moment on, he makes himself a promise: one day, he will dedicate his career to the pursuit of Cognac excellence.
A graduate of a business school in 1995, he joins Danone, where he spends more than a decade in commercial and general management roles, both in France and internationally. There, he forges a discipline, a strategic vision and an operational rigour that continue to guide his approach to leadership today.
In 2012, he acquires Maison Les Antiquaires du Cognac and chooses to dedicate himself exclusively to rare vintage Cognacs, some of which have aged for more than forty years. Each vintage is selected for its singular character and its faithful expression of the year it was harvested. Quantities remain naturally limited, following a philosophy in which rarity is not created: it is revealed.
In 2021, he undertakes the revival of the Distillerie de Saint-Martin, founded in 1882 in the town of Cognac. His ambition is clear: to restore the identity of a historic distillery and give it back full independence by mastering every stage of production, from the vine to distillation, and from ageing to blending.
Today, through VERTU, the Distillerie produces its own Cognacs. His conviction is simple: authenticity is born at the distillery itself. For David, a great Cognac is never simply produced: it is built patiently, through knowledge, discipline and respect for a craft passed down from generation to generation. His commitment is to preserve this heritage while preparing for the future, so that the Distillerie de Saint-Martin continues, generation after generation, to craft Cognacs worthy of its history.