The secret garden of Moët & Chandon, our visit in Champagne [ENG]
It's almost a year that we had the chance to be able ti visit and to taste one of prestigious house of Champagne, the house Moët & Chandon!
The house Moët & Chandon is by far the most known and the biggest of this sublime region who is the Champagne. But it is also known thanks to the group LVMH which it is part of. Today, i will share with you my tripto this house.
- LVMH what is it ?
LVMH is a luxury group, created since 1987, regroup 3 bigs known houses. Such as Louis Vuitton, the brand ready-to-wear, accesories, watches and jewelery; Hennessy, the house of Cognac the most famous Cognac house; and of course, Moët & Chandon the Champagne house.
- To situate Champagne
The Champagne is located in the north-est of France, not far from the region of Bourgogne, also very famous for these wines. It is divided into 4 major regions who are La Montagne de Reims, La Vallée de la Marne, La Côte des Blancs and Côte des Bars who is located a little further south. And extends over more than 30 000 ha. The soils of this region are composed mainly of limstone and marl (rock sedimentary).
The house Moët is composed of 1 500 ha of vines on rich limstone soils, with 50% of vineyard classified in Grands Crus and 25% in Premier Crus. These sparkling wines are realized with pinot noir and pinot meunier who are a red grape varieties and chardonnay who is a white grape variety.
- Claude Moët, a simple winemaker become known to all
This man simple winegrower and trader, is the first to have developed a sparkling wine!
Il was also gained the Champagne house in 1743 and gave her later the name of Moët & Chandon. When he died in 1760, it's his grandson Jean-Rémy Moët who took over the Champagne house.
Jean-Rémy Moët and Napoléon Bonaparte into the cellar in the house Moët & Chandon
- Jean-Rémy Moët et Napoléon Bonaparte, a great friendship
This emperor of the XVIII th century also has its importance into the house Moët & Chandon!
Napoleon came to visit domains many times from Epernay, and has awarded in Jean-Rémy Moët, the Legion of Honour, the highest honorary decoration in France. But it's thanks to him that the house he owes the name of the bottle Moët Imperial.
- A development not like the others
The Champagne is not a product like the others given that it's a sparkling wine. The wine-growing will be the same that for a still wine. However, for the vinification, les steps differents will be the harvest that mut be carried out necessarily manually. For the pressing, we'll do it in two steps, for a press complete of 4000kg, we will realized two presses. The first presse we'll do 20,5hl, to be called "la cuvé", and the second we'll do 5hl, to be called 'la taille".
Once base still wine developped, the excitement will be realized by incorporating a liqueur of exception and to let the bottles at rest during 15 months minimum. After that, the draining will be make, it consists in freeze the neck of bottle and to eject him to remove the cork of yeasts who is formed. Then we shall add to it liqueur of edition for do it again the nivel og the bottle. Once these realized operations, the aging will start during 3 years minimum.
- In the heart of secret garden
To finish our visit of the house, wa had the honor to taste the famous Moët Imperial Champagne in the garden of the house where we spent a pleasant moment.
Made with all the diversity of red and white grape varieties, a harmonious blend for this Champagne.
With its golden yellow color and green highlights, an elegant color. The nose is very open with notes of white fruits such as peach, pear or apple, citrus with brioche notes. At the tasting we find these notes of fruit, the mouth will be tasty, fresh and perfectly balanced.