Moët Chandon champagne: history, production process, types + how to distinguish a fake
Moët & Chandon - French winery and co-owner of the luxury goods company LVMH - Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE. It is one of the world's largest producers of champagne in the luxury segment.
For more than two centuries, Moët Chandon champagne has been satisfying the thirst of emperors, kings, queens, elder statesmen, and other wealthy people.
The story of Moët Chandon
Moët and Chandon was founded by Claude Moët, a wine merchant from Epernay, in 1743.
When Claude began shipping his sparkling wine from Champagne to Paris, he was the first winemaker in Champagne to produce exclusively sparkling wine.
The first name of the company was Moët et Cie (Moët & Co.), but in 1832 it changed to Moët et Chandon after Pierre-Gabriel Chandon became a partner of Victor Moët, the great-grandson of Claude Moët.
However, it was Jean-Rémy, Claude's grandson, who significantly improved the brand to the international standard it is today. His travels to other parts of France, business acumen, deals, and visionary ideas all contributed to the brand's growth.
Jean-Rémy's work was fueled by his belief that champagne should in every sense radiate pleasure when drinking it.
By the time Jean-Rémy retired and left Victor Moet and son-in-law Pierre-Gabriel Chandon de Brial in charge, the brand was already the leading house of sparkling wines in France.
In 1840, the concept of vintage champagne was born, and in 1842, the first vintage series of Moët & Chandon went on sale.
The first bestseller was Brut Imperial, introduced in 1860.
In 1971 and 1987, Moët & Chandon merged with Hennessy Cognac and Louis Vuitton to become LVMH (Louis-Vuitton-Moët-Hennessy). This merger made their conglomerate the largest in the world of luxury goods.
Today, Moët & Chandon produces more than 26 million bottles per year.
Moet Chandon production process
Before reaching the shelf in the store, Moët & Chandon goes a long way with close attention to quality, precision and uniqueness, as well as the variety offered by the various collections.
The wines are a blend of three varieties of champagne: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay from vineyards in the five main regions of Champagne.
Pinot Noir gives the wine structure and intensity, with notes of berries.
Pinot Meunier for elasticity, roundness and fullness.
Chardonnay is the cause of acidity, elegance and freshness.
The vineyards of Moët Chandon are located on 1000 hectares and are classified as Grand Cru (classification of the highest quality grapes).
Grapes are harvested to make cuvée, after which the still-white wine is blended and left to ferment.
Yeast and sugar are added during fermentation.
The "run", as the champagne is called, is placed in a glass bottle with thick walls and closed with a lid. Then it is placed in a cool cellar (12-15 degrees) and allowed to ferment slowly, producing alcohol and carbon dioxide.
During fermentation, the yeast cells die, and after a few months the fermentation is completed. However, the wine continues to age so that it develops a yeasty flavor
To achieve the best result, champagne is aged for five years or more.
At the pre-final stage, the bottle of champagne is placed upside down at an angle of 75 degrees and regularly rotated 1/8 turn.
After removing the dead yeast, a mixture of white wine, brandy and sugar is added to adjust the sweetness level of pure white champagne.
In vintage champagne, 100% of grapes are used from the same year's harvest.
Types of Moet Chandon
The company's vineyards are the largest in Champagne, the grapes are harvested by hand.
The sparkling wine is aged and matured in cellars that are more than 270 years old. It is in this place that champagne acquires its exquisite character and is filled with a wealth of flavors.
Moet & Chandon Brut Imperial
White dry brut champagne has an elegant straw yellow color with greenish tints.
It is a combination of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes.
The drink is characterized by a luxurious taste created by the hint of ripe pears, peaches, apples, which is gently intertwined with juicy notes of citrus and gooseberries. The wine leaves a magical aftertaste.
The aroma begins with fresh notes of green apples and citrus, followed by a pleasant floral scent combined with touches of baking and walnut.
Sparkling wine is perfect as an aperitif. Can be served in the company of fish dishes, seafood snacks, goat cheese, Brie cheese. Also goes well with desserts and fruits.
Moet & Chandon Nectar Imperial
White brut champagne, belongs to semi-dry sparkling wine. Has a pleasant light yellow color.
The taste is characterized by a certain oiliness, a pronounced hint of grape nectar.
The aroma combines the sourness of berries and sparkling spice.
Goes well with fish, white meat in cream sauce, fruit.
Moet & Chandon Rose Imperial
Dry rose-colored champagne.
The taste of champagne is the result of careful selection of Pinot grapes. It is characterized by freshness of fruits, especially forest berries.
The aroma of the drink is characterized by notes of red berries, especially blackberries and strawberries.
The wine goes well with dishes of lamb, suckling pig, eggplant, salmon, rabbit. A perfect aperitif option.
Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage
White brut champagne of dry type. It has an elegant yellow-golden color, in which iridescent shimmers can be traced.
The rich taste of the wine is intoxicating with nuances of liquorice and oleoresin.
The aromas of walnut and almond create a pleasant summer flavor, which is gradually diluted with notes of citrus, fresh mint and green coffee.
This bouquet is completed by noble mango and peach, topped with the sweetness of jasmine and hawthorn.
This champagne should be served as an aperitif.
Moet & Chandon Grand Vintage Rose
Dry champagne is pink in color, with catchy golden reflections.
The taste is balanced, with a slight sourness smoothed out by fruity freshness.
Gradually, new accents are revealed in it, attention shifts to floral notes and touches of hot pepper.
The aroma of the wine begins with a cherry hue, plum and prune tones. Next, wild herbs, dried rose petals, rosemary and saffron join in.
The drink is recommended to be drunk either neat or with gourmet snacks.
How to distinguish a fake Moet & Chandon
Before buying alcohol, you should carefully study the product you want to buy. We advise you to follow the instructions to buy original Moet & Chandon sparkling wine without confusing it with a fake:
Genuine Moet & Chandon champagne is bottled in classic shaped bottles. It is made of darkened glass.
At the bottom of the bottle you can see embossed bubbles, which are necessary for smooth gluing of the label. The bottom is rather convex, decorated with a pattern around the perimeter.
High quality labels of original champagne. The main label contains information about the name of the drink, its strength and bottle volume.
The neck of the bottle is wrapped in foil.
All labels of French champagne are glued neatly, without smudges and other incorrectnesses. If you can see poor quality work, this indicates counterfeiting.
The cork is traditional - made of cork material, there is a metal protection. Branded elements can be seen on every detail. If there is a different cork or no brand inscriptions, this indicates that the product is a fake.
Pay attention to the first two digits of the barcode. In the original version, you will find numbers from "30" to "37", most often "31". Any other barcode indicates that the drink was produced outside of France and is not original.
Follow these recommendations and buy only quality products.
Update: 05.05.2018
Category: Wine and Vermouth