Moët & Chandon are the most famous producers in Champagne. First founded in 1743 by Claude Moët, it was the marketing acumen of Rémy Moët which initiated the brand's international fame and mass volume production. Since then, Moët & Chandon have grown by acquiring other champagne estates, selling them forward and keeping their prestigious vineyards. Such large-scale production could only operate under the leadership of a truly superb Chef de Caves and in Benoît Gouez, Moët have one of the best. With a ten-man oenologist team led by chief Dom Pérignon winemaker Vincent Chaperon, Benoît has access to the most academic minds and palates in the region, no doubt a huge driving factor behind his success. Now proprietors to the largest amount of land: some 1,190-hecatres of rich limestone soil, and the largest extent of cellars: over twenty eight kilometres.
Moët & Chandon Impérial NV is the world's most popular champagne: a guaranteed classic produced in astonishing numbers with remarkable consistency year upon year, batch upon batch. Production reached such a immense volume, the House had to invest in a new state-of-the-art winery designed solely for Moët Impérial NV. The most automated cellar in the region uses super modern equipment and winemaking innovations not seen anywhere else in the world. First introduced in the 1860s, Brut Impérial NV is an assemblage of over two hundred crus with 20-30% carefully selected reserve wines added to complete the prestige blend.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: Predominantly Grand & Premier Crus
Grape Varieties: 40% Meunier, 30% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay
Reserve Wines: 20-30%
Lees Ageing: 3 years
Dosage: 7 g/l
Cork:
Mytik Diam Technological
Drink: Now for 5 years
Tasting Note: The colour is a golden yellow with fine bubbles. On the nose fresh fruits combine with citrus notes of lemon and orange. On the palate more citrus flavour show through with great balance. The mid-palate opens to a focused flavour of refreshing acidity. A very clean finish with impressions of white peach.
Put simply, Moët & Chandon are the most famous producers in Champagne. With production (rumoured to be in the region of thirty million bottles annually) accounting for over one-tenth of the entire region's, their role as an image builder for the appellation as a whole cannot be overstated. First founded in 1743 by Claude Moët, it was the marketing acumen of Rémy Moët which initiated the brand's international fame and mass volume production. Realising the business potential of his close friendship with Napoleon, Rémy even built the emperor a palace, Trianon on Avenue de Champagne.
Since then, Moët & Chandon have grown by acquiring other champagne estates, selling them forward and keeping their prestigious vineyards. Such large-scale production could only operate under the leadership of a truly superb Chef de Caves and in Benoît Gouez, Moët have one of the best. With a ten-man oenologist team led by chief Dom Pérignon winemaker Vincent Chaperon, Benoît has access to the most academic minds and palates in the region, no doubt a huge driving factor behind his success. Now proprietors to the largest amount of land: some 1,190-hecatres of rich limestone soil, and the largest extent of cellars: over twenty eight kilometres, Moët & Chandon's future is as secure as their champagnes are delicious.
Cellar Master:
Benoît Gouez
Winery Location: Épernay | Champagne, France
Champagne Region:
Côte des Blancs
Annual Production (bottles): Undisclosed
Chef de Cave History at Champagne Moët & Chandon:
Benoît Gouez - 2005 to current | Prior to joining Moët & Chandon, he worked in various other wine regions, including California, Australia, and New Zealand. Gouez's team includes chief Dom Pérignon winemaker Vincent Chaperon and a ten-man oenologist team, providing him with extensive expertise and resources