Tonnellerie Leroi : an age-old virtuosity dedicated to sublimate wines and spirits

Tonnellerie Leroi is the heiress of techniques and know-how of artisans from the prestigious Martell cognac house founded in 1715.

In 1784, 30 coopers work for Martell. Forty years later, 75 coopers are working in the workshops where they manufacture and maintain up to 130 barrels per week.

Activity increases during the 19^th century as the site of Gâtebourse, acquired in 1833, expands. Wineries, office and bottling plant are reconstructed in the 1850’s by the architect Eugène Demangeat. After the construction of those buildings, a distillery has been built in 1890 and has been turned into cooperage in the 1930’s.

A new cooperage has been built in 1987 in the Cognac suburb a few hundred meters form the Gâtebourse historical site. Cooperage has been sold in 2006 to become the Tonnellerie Leroi where fifteen artisans and apprentices work today to manufacture each year thousands of barrels dedicated to wines and spirits.

Picture: coopers working in front of the former Martell cooperage