Moët & Chandon Imperial Brut
Earlier this week I talked about Cava, now it’s all about Champagne! Not just Valentine’s Day, but any day is a good day for Champagne, however splitting a bottle of bubbly with your sweetheart is not a bad way to spend Feb 14. Moët Champagne is legendary as they have been in existence for over a quarter of a millennium. Founded by Claude Moët in 1743, his effervescent wine soon became the icon of elegance and success throughout the world, and has not changed much since. The House style of Moët is distinctive, showing an elegant maturity resulting from the labor intensive process it takes to make a bottle of liquid gold. The Champagne is created from over a 100 different wines, including special reserve wines, carefully blended to give Moët its distinctive taste, consistent from year to year. The assemblage of the three grape varietals used for Imperial Brut are: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay, about a third each, however the percentage of each grape varies from year to year in order to obtain their signature style.
Champagne is an elegant wine. When opening Champagne, one should try and not “bruise” the wine by making it “POP” which lets out too much gas prematurely. The following is a link to a wonderful website (Rules for the Modern Girl), Blogger Christine, demonstrates the proper way, step by step with photos, to open a bottle of bubbly. Well done Tine, Thanks! As I poured the Champagne into a chilled glass (chilling the glass a bit with club soda and ice enhances the bubbles), I noticed a nice golden yellow color and immediately noted the vibrant bouquet of fruit, apples, citrus and a touch of pear with a waft of minerals. The bubbles were plentiful, alluring and bursting at the rim of my glass. Tasting the Champagne I noticed the presence of Pinot Noir, complex and ample fruit, and a distinctive chalky taste from the soil with a hint of toasty notes. Champagne is a versatile wine as it can be used as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to many meals. Champagne is a pricier wine, however well worth it when you dive in and truly enjoy a glass or two, I know I will. You can probably pick up the Moët & Chandon Imperial Brut for around $40. Happy Valentine’s Day!
Cheers!