Moët & Chandon Champagne Brut Impérial

Under the leadership of its brilliant cellar master, Benoît Gouez, Moët has evolved without compromising its core values: fruitiness, balance, just the right level of approachability, and a captivating aging potential, all within a fresh style that strives for precision. The cuvées have moved away from dosage, in step with advances in viticulture and cutting-edge technical research. The wines reveal an extra dimension. The house’s flagship wines, Imperial and Rosé Imperial, are champagnes of impressive aromatic precision and finesse. The blends are meticulously crafted. The vintages display a distinctive stylistic signature, as exemplified by the latest 2013, an atypical yet remarkably successful vintage. The “grande maison” is in fine form.

This edition marks the house’s 280th anniversary. Its signature cuvée blends the three Champagne grape varieties (including 30 to 40% Chardonnay), sourced from over 200 crus and spanning numerous vintages (20 to 30% reserve wines). It opens with notes of butter and ripe white fruit before revealing a round, fruity palate with a pleasing suppleness and a candied finish.

One of the oldest Champagne houses, founded in 1743 by Claude Moët, a vineyard owner. In the early 19th century, his grandson Jean-Rémy expanded the company’s reach internationally, with the help of his son-in-law Pierre-Gabriel Chandon de Briailles. Their heirs built on the brand’s success, making it the best-known and best-selling Champagne in the world. Today, Moët & Chandon—with 1,190 hectares of vineyards across 234 crus (50% of which are grand cru) and 28 kilometers of cellars—continues to expand as part of the powerful LVMH group. These ambitions came to fruition in 2012 with the inauguration, at the Mont Aigu site in Oiry at the foot of the Côte des Blancs, of a vast, contemporary-style winemaking facility, which complements its historic facilities in Épernay. Benoît Gouez has served as cellar master since 2005.

LVMH is the most powerful player in the Champagne region, thanks to the size of its vineyards (approximately 1,200 hectares—just a quarter of its needs!) and the reach of its brands (Moët, Veuve Clicquot, Ruinart, Krug, Mercier). Within this portfolio, Moët is the world’s best-selling champagne, with the Brut Impérial as its flagship, accounting for 85% of its production. Under the guidance of the excellent cellar master Benoît Gouez, Moët demonstrates impressive consistency given the volumes produced. These creamy wines, with their toasty and citrusy notes, appeal to consumers wherever they are in the world. Alongside the Brut Impérial, the house produces Grand Vintages that gain in definition and depth with each successive vintage.

This wine features aromas of apricot, grapefruit, pear, and pastry crust. There are also hints of nuts. Medium-bodied, with soft bubbles and savory notes of nuts and pastry crust on the finish. A blend of Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay. Aged on lees for 24 months. Tasted from a magnum bottle. Ready to drink now.

With a golden straw color, Imperial Brut Champagne is creamy and decadent, with aromas of crème brûlée, candied citrus, and baked Golden Delicious apples. Juicy and ripe, it fills the palate with sweet fruits such as pear compote and quince, and reveals a supple texture and a velvety mousse. It is easy to drink, with a touch of fruity sweetness that lingers on the finish. It is perfect for aperitifs in the coming years. Best enjoyed between 2023 and 2026.