Moët & Chandon Champagne Brut Impérial Rosé Étui

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

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 harmony 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 vintage that is remarkably successful. The “grande maison” is in fine form.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the estate:

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 within the powerful LVMH group. Its 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 winery, which complements its historic facilities in Épernay. Benoît Gouez has been the cellar master since 2005.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the wine:

The nose is round and velvety. Sweet red fruits bring a delicious richness, enhanced by a hint of white pepper and mild spices (turmeric, coriander). While the bubbles make a bold entrance, they soon fade into the background to complement a full-bodied palate with notes of cherry and raspberry. The freshness of the structure complements a well-balanced dosage and lingers in a finish that awakens the taste buds. All that’s missing is a red fruit tart to pair with it.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

A juicy fruit profile with this Marat des Bois, a strawberry-sugar blend that gives the wine a seductive, sweet character. The palate is pleasant, with lovely vinous character and power. It’s a shame that the juice is overshadowed by the final dosage; the wine is solid, but relies too heavily on sweetness.

About the estate:

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 leadership of the excellent cellar master Benoît Gouez, Moët demonstrates impressive consistency given the volumes produced. These creamy wines, with their toasty and citrusy notes, reassure consumers wherever they are in the world. Alongside Brut Impérial, the house produces Grand Vintages that gain in definition and depth with each passing vintage.

James Suckling

Jeb Dunnuck