Definition: Moët & Chandon

One of the oldest and most important champagne houses, founded in 1743. Its own vineyards make it the leading producer in the region. The company has a large wine research centre with a highly developed oenology and research department staffed by twelve oenologists. Moët & Chandon is certainly the only house to have two cellar masters, one in charge of the prestigious Dom Pérignon cuvée and the other for the Moët & Chandon cuvées. Annual production: 30 million bottles. 250 winegrowers spread over 200 crus, including 13 of the 17 grands crus and 28 of the 41 premiers crus. The cellars cover 28 kilometres of galleries. Moët & Chandon is part of the large luxury group LVMH.

History:

Claude Moët, a wine merchant descended from an old family established in Champagne since the 14th century, founded his house in Épernay in 1743 and decided to continue the work of Dom Pérignon.

It was his grandson, Jean-Rémy Moët, who, in the 19th century, gave the house its real boost by opening up new markets.

Jean-Rémy Moët handed over the company in 1832 to his son and son-in-law Pierre-Gabriel Chandon de Briailles. It then took the name Moët & Chandon.

With a rich heritage and expertise passed down from generation to generation, Moët & Chandon is now the leader in its field and the benchmark brand for Champagne. The company is the leading exporter, with more than 80% of its production destined for foreign markets.

Its reputation is exceptional: around the world, a bottle of Moët & Chandon is opened every second. The company's vineyards cover an area of 543 hectares, making it by far the largest in the region.

Under the expert guidance of the cellar masters and a dozen oenologists, the precious bottles are left to age in its immense cellars, at least three years for the regular vintages, up to five years for the vintage wines, and between six and eight years for the prestigious Dom Pérignon cuvée, which is only produced in years of exceptional quality.

Although the monk Dom Pérignon did not "invent" champagne, the Dom Pérignon cuvée certainly gave rise to the wave of special cuvées. Today, it is the undisputed leader in this field. First launched in 1936, it quickly found an audience of devoted fans. In over 60 years, its success has never wavered, no doubt because everything is done here to keep the myth intact. The blend consists of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in proportions that vary from year to year. The philosophy is to reproduce a style while incorporating the expression of the chosen vintage. The Dom Pérignon style is deliberately assertive. It appears slightly more alcoholic than the other wines in the range, simply because only grapes from the best, most exposed plots are selected. On the palate, this champagne is a synthesis of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, combining the elegance of the former with the depth of the latter.

Vines as far as the eye can see. About thirty kilometres south of Reims, the vineyards of Verzenay provide one of the grand cru grapes used by Moët & Chandon. The brand's vineyards cover 780 hectares, accounting for only 30% of production, so it is essential to purchase grapes from 324 villages in Champagne, including 45 premier cru and 17 grand cru (the best quality soil and grapes). Average annual production: 29,700,000 bottles. The flagship of the LVMH group, which boasts countless famous brands: Moët & Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Veuve Clicquot, Krug, Mercier, Ruinart, Château d'Yquem, Hennessy, The Glenmorangie Company, Domaine Chandon California, Bodegas Chandon Argentina, Domaine Chandon Australia, Cloudy Bay, Cap Mentelle, Newton, Terrazas de los Andes.

The history of Moët & Chandon:

Moët & Chandon is a family tradition dating back over 250 years. It was Jean-Rémy Moët, grandson of the company's founder and friend of Napoleon, who, at the end of the 18th century, ensured the renown of this Champagne house's expertise beyond its borders. He also built the Hôtel Moët in Épernay, under which the chalk cellars protect millions of bottles. In 1832, his son Victor and his son-in-law Pierre-Gabriel Chandon succeeded him at the head of the House, which would henceforth be known as Moët & Chandon. Moët & Chandon is the world market leader. It exports 90% of its production, particularly to the United States (for which a special cuvée, White Star, was created), England, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Japan. It is the undisputed champagne of European royal courts and historic events.

Constant care:

"The vines are pulled up when they reach 45 years of age. The soil is then left fallow for five years. New vines are then planted, which take three years to produce. You have to wait another two years for the grapes to be ready!" explains Jean-Paul Couret, who manages a 230-hectare plot for Moët & Chandon. From November to March, 40 permanent staff work there full-time.

Champagne:

Why is champagne exclusive to the Champagne region? Simply because of the climate, the soil and, of course, the expertise. Although Champagne wines have existed for centuries, it was not until the 17th century that their natural effervescence was mastered, thanks to the arrival of bottles, which were initially intended for transport.

From Pinot to Chardonnay:

Three grape varieties are used to make champagne: Pinot Noir (our photo), Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay. The grapes have particularly thick, tough skins, which enable them to withstand the low temperatures in the region. Each vine is pruned to bear an average of only 1.3 kg of fruit, the equivalent of one bottle.

Manual harvesting:

The harvest takes place 100 days after flowering, on vines that have been defoliated the day before to facilitate picking. Here, it is important to note that everything is picked by hand. On Jean-Paul's vineyard, 15 teams of 28 to 35 people work for 10 days. From 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an hour's lunch break in the vineyards. A grape picker, paid by the yield, picks between 600 and 1,000 kg of grapes per day.

On the way to the distillery:

The grapes are then transferred to crates with holes in them to prevent fermentation. Each crate contains 50 kg of fruit. Tractors then transport them to the depot where a lorry is waiting to take them to the distillery. It is important to work quickly because the harvested grapes cannot wait more than 12 hours in the crates without spoiling.

Pressing the old-fashioned way...

In the distillery next to the wine press, which dates back to the early 20th century, the grapes are poured into hydraulic presses. Four thousand kilograms of grapes are placed in at a time. They are gently crushed by the heavy lid, the apron, for about four hours, depending on the density of the bunches. Pressing must never be too long, so that the skin and tannins do not stain the white juice that will flow from the grapes, even black grapes.

Or modern pressing:

Pneumatic presses can hold 2 to 3 times more grapes, up to 12,000 kg. Pressing takes an average of one hour less. Here, a membrane crushes the grapes against the walls of a cylinder. Care is taken not to mix different varieties or villages of origin, in view of the work of the oenologists, which will begin in the coming weeks.

Nothing is wasted:

the skins and seeds are used to make marc de champagne, oil, animal feed or fertiliser. Meanwhile, the juice is collected in a vat (the beulon), where it will remain for 12 hours so that the sediment, or impurities, can settle to the bottom. Once clarified, the precious juice will be sent to the blending cellar.

A range of 500 cuvées:

The clarified juice, or cuvée, is then sent to the blending cellar. There it undergoes a first fermentation, four weeks in open vats, where it becomes still wine. This is where the long work of the 12 oenologists begins. From October to March, every day, they taste 25 cuvées and develop the blends. They have a range of 400 to 500 different wines at their disposal to create the perfect champagne.

28 km of cellars:

On three floors, 25 metres below the ground in Épernay, dark, cool galleries dating back to 1720, where the champagne takes its time to mature. This time influences the quality of the product: a sparkling wine only waits nine months, while champagne remains in the cellar for 15 months. But at Moët & Chandon, no bottle is released before 2 or even 3 years. A vintage champagne remains in the cellar for 5 years. As for Dom Pérignon, it can spend 8 long years there.

Two years on racks:

Sugar and yeast are added to the blended cuvées before bottling and sealing with a metal cap. Now it's time for the second fermentation. The bottles, laid on slats, improve thanks to a deposit of natural ferments. And the bubbles refine. This is a guarantee of quality, as large bubbles detract from the aroma by bursting too strongly in the mouth.

The nourishing deposit:

This deposit has two aspects. The first is thick and forms a visible cloud in the middle of the bottle. The second is very fine and clouds the entire liquid. Although essential for the ageing process, it must be removed before consumption so as not to retain the taste of yeast. This delicate and time-consuming operation is carried out by three experts, known as remueurs.

Three per second!

Forty years ago, Dominique Lenel was entrusted with the heavy responsibility of riddling. For six weeks, he turns the bottles, tilted vertically on racks. A quarter or an eighth of a turn (depending on his expert eye), while gradually straightening them. The aim is to gently bring the deposit closer to the neck of the bottle. He turns 50,000 bottles a day.

Disgorging:

Once the sediment has reached the neck, disgorging must be carried out. The neck is immersed in water at -28°C. A machine uncaps the bottle without releasing the pressure. The sediment, now frozen, is ejected. A touch of sugar is added and, if necessary, a final blend of vintages from previous years. The bottle is then sealed with the famous cork.

Dressed and tied:

The bottle is finally cleaned and then dressed with the label and the famous Moët & Chandon tie. This final operation also takes place in the cellar (where 270 people work all year round). Now it is ready to go back to the tasting room or the Moët Hotel shop. Would you like a quarter bottle or perhaps a Nabuchodonosor, which contains 20 bottles? Champagne is the northernmost region of France, where temperatures are quite cold (10.5°C on average), which is an advantage for the ripening of the grapes. This ripening process is slow, which promotes the finesse of the aroma and the freshness of the cuvées. From a geological point of view, it is chalk that characterises these vineyards, located between 100 and 300 metres above sea level. Without it, there would be no champagne. Indeed, it allows the soil to absorb heat and diffuse it to the roots of the vines during the 200 days of rain and 80 days of frost each year.

By blending Pinot Noir (for power), Pinot Meunier (for roundness) and Chardonnay (for freshness), oenologists are able to produce a whole range of products of consistent, high quality. The Brut Impérial cuvée, for example, is the result of a blend of 250 cuvées. As for vintage champagnes, these are champagnes made from a single cuvée from a single year, perfect enough to stand on its own. They are therefore rare products reserved for only the greatest vintages.

Practical information - address: 20, avenue de Champagne, BP 140, 51200 Épernay Cédex - Telephone: +33 (0)3 26 51 20 20 Fax +33 (0)326 54 84 23.