Moët & Chandon Champagne Grand Vintage 2016 Étui

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.

Produced in a year that was more challenging than 2015, this 2016 Extra Brut was preferred by our tasters over the previous vintage. It features Pinot Noir (43%) and Chardonnay (42%), with a touch of Meunier. Ten years after harvest, it offers a superb nose that unfolds a rich array of complex aromas: toasty and roasted notes (coffee, hazelnut), citrus zest, and dried fruit (raisin). Compote-style pear and peach round out this palette on the palate, highlighting the rich, indulgent character of this vintage, which features pleasant effervescence and a fresh finish. A wine with great presence.

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.

The initial aroma features notes of toasted bread, roasted hazelnuts, and crunchy almonds. After a few seconds, roasted pineapple, exotic fruits, and sugarcane emerge—it’s quite indulgent. The initial taste is smooth and well-balanced. The bubbles are fine and lively. It has a rounded body with a touch of bitterness that brings everything into balance. The aroma is lovely, with notes of warm spices and pineapple. It’s a delight to drink and calls for a spicy, hearty dish.

A lovely, complex palette with toasty, roasted notes; the fruit remains subtle, leaning toward dried fruits, while mineral and chalky notes dominate the palate—a wine that will evolve toward earthy notes. On the palate, there is a beautiful balance between ripeness and freshness. The wine remains well-structured, without ever feeling constricted in its expression: a persistent wine.

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 champagne has a lovely salinity, with notes of Asian pears, anise, candied lemons, chalk, and cookies. It is mineral and harmonious, with beautiful clarity and brilliance. Fine bubbles. 48% Chardonnay, 34% Pinot Noir, and 18% Meunier. Dosage of 5 g/L. Disgorged in March 2023. Ready to drink now or suitable for aging.