Moet & Chandon

When you mention Moët & Chandon, the Champagne par excellence immediately comes to mind, produced and distributed by one of the most famous Maisons in the world. Already active in the mid-1700s thanks to Claude Moët, it soon found the favor of the King of France and at his Court the consumption of wine with bubbles increased exponentially; but it was his nephew Jean Remy who managed to export it all over the world thanks also to his marketing work done with perseverance and dedication. The name Chandon was added when Jean-Remy passed half the company to his son-in-law Pierre-Gabriel Chandon, in 1832, and half to his son Victor Moët. After introducing the idea of an aged champagne in 1840, Moët released its first "vintage" in 1842. The most successful label, Brut Impérial, was first produced in the 1860s. The most famous brand remains Dom Pérignon, so called because the Benedictine monk Pierre Pérignon is remembered in legend as "the father of champagne". Historically, Moët & Chandon merged with Hennessy Cognac in 1971 and Louis Vuitton in 1987, thus becoming part of the LVMH group (Louis-Vuitton-Moët-Hennessy), the largest luxury goods group in the world. Moët & Chandon is the official supplier of Queen Elizabeth II. Currently the numbers are dizzying: production exceeds 23 million bottles a year which reach the markets of each nation, the vineyards, in the Champagne-Ardenne region of northern France, cover an area of 1150 hectares and the underground cellars extend in a maze of over 28 kilometres, ensuring the right degree of humidity and temperature to create great champagnes. The calcareous soil and the microclimate make the classic vines of this area of France ideal for the creation of high quality wines. Pinot Noir (35%), Pinot Meunier (35%) and Chardonnay (30%) combine to create Brut Imperial, the flagship champagne of the Moët & Chandon maison and the best-selling in the world. Over the course of its long production, this maison has produced, and continues to produce, special and limited editions of great vintages, which are popular with collectors and connoisseurs.