The house was founded in 1743 by Epernay wine-trader Claude Moët as Moët & Cie [Moët & Co], but it was his grandson Jean-Remy Moët who introduced champagne to the world in the 18th century. Madame de Pompadour, the mistress of King Louis XV, helped to popularise champagne throughout Europe's royal courts and, inspired by her love of Moët, declared “Champagne is the only wine in the world that makes every woman beautiful”! Moët was also Napoleon’s favourite champagne. His love of champagne started in 1782 when he met Jean-Remy, after which he always took Moët’s Champagne on military tours – except Waterloo interestingly. Napoleon even bequeathed the last of his bicorn hats to the Moët family and bestowed upon them his Officers Cross of the Legion of Honour, the highest French order of merit for military and civilian accomplishments. Moët even built a replica of The Grand Trianon, the Château in Versailles, at their estate for him and Josephine to stay in when they visited. Today there is a Napoleon room at the Moët headquarters in Epernay – it is green, because that was Napoleon’s favourite colour. In 1833 Jean-Remy's son-in-law Pierre-Gabriel Chandon de Briailles joined the company as a partner, and it was renamed Moët et Chandon. The house has had group ownership by Luis Vuitton Moët Hennessy since 1987, the largest luxury group in the world. Moët now owns the largest estate in Champagne with 1,150 hectares planted on rich chalk soils. With vineyards in the Montagne de Reims, Côtes de Blancs, Vallée de la Marne, Sézanne and Aube, they have access to 200 of the 323 crus in the region, of which 50% are Grand Cru, and 25% Premier Cru. This unparalleled asset allows them to select the best grapes to create their signature wines with consistency vintage after vintage. Pinot Noir gives their wines body, structure and intensity with berry nuances. Chardonnay provides elegance, acidity and freshness with citrus and white flower notes, and Pinot Meunier gives suppleness, roundness and fleshiness with hints of white-fleshed fruits. The wines age in the 28 kilometre maze of tunnels beneath their Epernay headquarters. Moët & Chandon are amongst the world's most loved champagne brands - their hallmark elegance and savoir-faire is present in every glass!
www.moet.com