Il Gattopardo Esperienza

Champagne Moet & Chandon

Moët & Chandon, based in the so-called « Champagne capital » of Épernay, is easily the most famous house in the Champagne region. It is one of the largest too with a production capacity of 60 million bottles a year and 1150 hectares (2850 acres) of estate vineyards plus more from growers.

The house was founded by Claude Moët in 1743. However, his grandson, Jean-Remy Moët, is credited with having brought Champagne to a wider audience and, by the 19th Century, the house was recognized both domestically and internationally.

The Dutch roots of Claude Moët are behind the pronunciation of the name. The ë tells us that the « t » of Moët is sounded.

In the 1970s and ’80s, Moët & Chandon expanded its empire beyond Champagne, partnering first with Cognac house Hennessy and then with fashion giant Louis Vuitton, forming the well-known luxury conglomerate Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy –often referred to simply as LVMH.

The house has expanded far outside of Champagne and is currently making sparkling wines in California, Argentina, Brazil and Australia under the Chandon label. Most recently, Moët & Chandon has acquired vineyards in India and China, where they are also finding new markets.

Today, the group owns several other famous wine brands, including Krug and Veuve Clicquot in Champagne, Château Cheval Blanc in Bordeaux, and Cloudy Bay in New Zealand and Cape Mentelle in Western Australia.

Wine styles

Moët’s house style is fresh and fruit-forward, and the non-vintage Brut is dominated by Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, with a smaller amount of Chardonnay. Grapes are drawn from 800 different parcels from 230 of the villages in Champagne.

This wide range of terroirs to draw from means that blenders have more control over the finished wine, and despite the massive output every year, Moët’s wines are remarkably consistent. The majority of processes in the winery are controlled by machines – unsurprising given the scale of production.