WHITE OAK was born in 2023 from the alliance and shared vision of OAK NATION and MARTELL, in the form of a joint venture* full of promises.
This entity embodies the union of exceptional know-how, bringing together under its name Nièvre Merrain, the guardian of the traditional merrandière craft, Tonnellerie Leroi, heir to rare craftsmanship in the creation of barrels for the finest crus, and L’Atelier du Foudrier, specializing in the making of vats, casks, and large containers.
With a structure owned 51% by OAK NATION and 49% by MARTELL, WHITE OAK becomes the symbol of a shared commitment. Together, these houses choose to embark on an eternal quest for quality and excellence, in service to this rare and precious natural resource: the majestic oaks, true treasures of the forests.
More than just a partnership, WHITE OAK is a tribute to terroirs, to oak, and to the millennia-old legacy of those who passionately craft the barrels and large containers that hold the soul of the finest cognacs.
*A joint venture is a collaborative contract between two or more companies aimed at achieving a common goal (cost and risk sharing).
In 1998, Nièvre Merrain, the group’s second stave production company, was created to satisfy demand from the coopers. The two stave mills became world leaders in the manufacture of French oak staves. Today, this unit produces staves for the group’s cooperages and other coopers too.
- Forestry
- Stave milling
NIEVRE MERRAIN
Route de Corvol l’Orgueilleux – 58210 Varzy – France
Tél. + 33 3 86 38 17 55 – Fax + 33 3 86 38 11 46
accueil@groupecharlois.com
Great French cooperage since 1735
Founded by the oldest Cognac house and today a part of the Charlois group, Tonnellerie Leroi boasts rare expertise in the manufacture of oak barrels for eaux-de-vie and liqueurs. Based in Cognac, its ancestral character and high standards have made it famous in vineyards all over the world.
The selection of oak is the very core of its expertise, meeting the high requirements of distillers and producers. To create this perfect harmony between oak and spirits, only staves from the most beautiful French trees are chosen to make barrels and vats. The mastery of its expert coopers is combined with the nobility of the oak. Perfectly managing the toasting flame to match the ageing objective, the master cooper releases all the aromatic subtlety from the oak to give the spirits their aromas and strength.
The alliance of man and nature leaves nothing to chance when revealing the best facets of wines and spirits.
- Cooperage
TONNELLERIE LEROI
36-46, rue de Dizedon – 16100 Cognac – France
Tél. + 33 5 45 82 79 42 – Fax + 33 5 45 82 71 58
contact@tonnellerie-leroi.com – www.tonnellerie-leroi.com
The unique expertise and experience of these artisan vat makers, implanted in the Charente region of France since 1870, enables them to build the very finest wooden vats and tuns (foudres).
After a rigorous selection from oaks of more than 200 years old, grown in the most majestic French forests, this noble raw material is prepared to best advantage in a specialized and fully integrated sawmill. It is then worked entirely by hand.
French oak vats and tuns are an expression of luxury. They are the embodiment, in the winemaking sphere and in the eyes of world, of the prestige and high-quality work that is involved in the making of a fine wine.
- Vat making
L’ATELIER DU FOUDRIER
Champ des Rivaux – 16300 Barret – France
Tél. + 33 5 45 98 07 02 – Fax + 33 5 45 98 17 83