Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage 2015
A giant house with the largest vineyard holdings in Champagne and its best-selling brand globally
Grape Makeup:
44% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay, 24% Meunier
Sweetness Level:
Extra Brut
Ageing on Lees:
6 years
Price:
$$
Cellar:
5-10 years
Category:
Celebration
Photos
What
A giant house, founded in 1743, with the largest vineyard holdings in Champagne and its best-selling brand globally.
Where
Épernay; its vast holdings of 1,200 hectares are 50% Grand Cru and 25% Premier Cru.
Why
Vintage wines comprise only 1% of Moët’s production but the increasingly prestige-focused house dedicates a great deal of care to this cuvée. 2015 had glorious conditions during harvest, but while it had enviable structure and concentration the acidity was lacking in some cuvées. Moët chose to go with their highest proportion of pinot noir since 2009, thus capturing greater freshness.
What Else
In anticipation of its 300-year anniversary (in 2043), Moët has announced plans to release a series of “cuvées d’exception” each year until then. For 2023, they unveiled a multi-vintage cuvée called Moët Collection Impériale Creation No. 1 based on the 2013 vintage plus six other top vintages dating back to 2000.
Tasting Notes
Moët’s vintage has a very refined nose, harmonious with a polished, golden character. It shows 2015’s characteristic richness with buttered toast, lightly smoky cedarwood and lemon curd. There is a good amount of weight on the palate but it is very well balanced by acidity until the final beat, where the density of the liquid and the softened acidity leave more of an impression of sweetness. The flavours are seamlessly integrated – the fruit, the yeast, the oak – and the structure is very exact.
Try It With
Delicate meat dishes like pork or (if you eat it) veal.
When To Drink
Apéritif.
Perfect For
The one whose entire wardrobe is elevated basics.
Tatler Tip
If you're with somebody who's skeptical that a big (ok, the biggest) champagne house can produce something particular and unique, consider pouring this for them blind so they can't judge before they taste.
TL/DR
Refined, harmonious and polished.
Supplier
MHD
