MOËT & CHANDON

1743: the beginning of the legend

It all began in 1743, when Claude Moët founded a Maison in his own name after a long career first as a vigneron and then as a cellar master.

 

The Champagne of the Kings of France

He began by distributing his wines in Paris outside the Champagne region at a time when demand for sparkling wine was growing. His success was immediate, so much so that Moët Champagne quickly became the most popular at the court of the King of France and, by the end of the 18th century, was being exported throughout Europe and the United States of America.

The growth continued with his grandson Jean Remy, who purchased new land, expanded the cellars and built a veritable commercial network that reached famous customers such as Thomas Jefferson and Napoleon Bonaparte. Remy later left the management of Moët to his son Victor and son-in-law Pierre Gabriel Chandon, from whom the current name of the Maison, Moët & Chandon Champagne, derives.

 

Moët & Chandon Impérial

In 1840, the idea of an aged champagne was born, and two years later Moët was ready to distribute its first “vintage”.

 

However, their flagship and most successful brand is Moët & Chandon Impérial, particularly the Brut Impérial produced in the 1860s, although the most famous brand remains Dom Pérignon, so named because legend attributes the invention of champagne to the Benedictine monk Pierre Pérignon.

Moët & Chandon and Dom Pérignon, different twins

Brut Imperial has become the maison's signature label: it is made from a cuvée of over a hundred wines, at least 20% of which are reserve wines, and requires ageing on lees for at least 36 months in addition to six months in the bottle. The grape varieties are Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay.

Dom Perignon, created in 1936 as Moët & Chandon's Cuvée de Prestige, has become synonymous with luxury, elegance and excellence, almost a product in its own right.

The grape varieties used are Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in percentages that vary with each vintage. The first harvest was in 1921, but it was only released on the market 15 years later. Unlike other champagnes, which are produced from a cuvée of wines from different vintages, it is produced only from the best grapes from the same year's harvest.

The 20th century: the rise and acquisition of LVMH

It was in the 20th century that the winery established itself as the leader of the entire Champagne region, planning a growth that first led to the acquisition of Ruinart and Lanson, and shortly afterwards to the merger with Hennessy, culminating in the creation of the world's largest luxury group, the current LVMH, following the merger with Louis Vuitton in 1987.

 

This group is the only one to be present in all the most important sectors of the luxury market: fashion and leather goods, cosmetics and perfumes, watches and jewellery, and, of course, wines and spirits.

Moët & Chandon today, much more than a maison

Today, Moët & Chandon is not simply a champagnerie, but a global icon of French sparkling wine, official supplier to Queen Elizabeth II, a maison where, in the wake of the pioneering spirit of its founder, savoir-faire and know-how are handed down from generation to generation, for a brand that, with just under 1,200 hectares of vineyards - 50% classified as Grand Cru Grand Cru and 25% Premier Cru - has the largest vineyard area in the entire Champagne region.

Then there are the cellars, the largest in the Champagne region, which stretch for over 28 kilometres on limestone soil, at a depth of between 10 and 30 metres, forming a sort of underground labyrinth, where Moët & Chandon Champagnes come to life thanks to the optimal temperature and humidity conditions.

 

The great Champagnes of Moët & Chandon

Its bottles, from Moët & Chandon Rosé to Moët & Chandon Impérial, or the Grand Vintage Collection, reach restaurants and wine shops all over the world.

From the Brut “Cuvée Impérial”, the brand's emblematic blend and the Maison's most profound expression, we arrive at the latest addition to the Moët & Chandon family, “Moët Ice Impérial”, the first Champagne designed to be enjoyed with ice.

 

Moët & Chandon Rosé

Rosé vinification also dominates: until about twenty years ago, Moët & Chandon Rosé accounted for only 2-3% of production, but now exceeds 20%.

When Rosé Imperial was first produced in 1996, only Pinot Noir was used, but over time, the maison's distinctive characteristic became the addition of Meunier, a less structured grape variety that softens the intensity of Pinot Noir.

 

Today, the blend includes 30% to 40% Meunier, of which 10% is still red wine, between 40% and 50% Pinot Noir (of which 10% is still red wine) and between 10% and 20% Pinot Meunier. The result is a smooth, juicy, fruity wine with an intense colour, with hints of raspberry and wild strawberry blending with notes of rhubarb and bark. Ice Impérial Rosé, the first rosé champagne blended to be enjoyed only with ice, dates back to 2016.

In 2006, Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial created one of the most intriguing limited edition bottles called “Be Fabulous”, a reissue of the original embellished with Swarovski crystals, a celebration of the prestige and elegance of the brand.