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.

Every Grand Vintage is unique and original, the Cellar Master's interpretation of the singular year that is produced. The Möet & Chandon Grand Vintage spirit is founded on three essential values: Freedom of interpretation, selection of the year's most remarkable wines and individuality of the vintage.

Weather: The 2002 vintage shaped up ideally over the spring, with no significant frost and near-perfect flowering. Then followed a summer marked by long, sunny periods interspersed with regular cloudy and rainy spells. The vines were in good health and the dehydration of the grape berries helped them reach new heights of ripeness.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: Predominantly Grand & Premier Crus
Grape Varieties: 51% Chardonnay, 26% Pinot Noir, 23% Meunier
Lees Ageing: 14 years
Disgorged: May 2017
Dosage: 5 g/l
Cork: Mytik Diam Technological
Drink: Now to 2027

Tasting Note: Vanilla notes on the nose gradually expand into darker toastier notes of roasted almonds. On the palate deep flavours of fleshy fruits, peaches and grapefruit. There is a superb silky texture that combines with the full bodied Pinot Noir.

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