Artist Daniel Arsham Teams Up With Moët & Chandon as the House Releases Collection Impériale Création No. 1 in the U.S.
Moët & Chandon is setting up the future by honoring its past.
The inaugural release of the Moët & Chandon Collection Impériale, which is now available in the U.S., celebrates the house’s 280th anniversary and kicks off a countdown to 300 years in 2043. The first creation taps into the history of winemaking expertise, which has been newly coined “Haute Oenologie.” This expertise will continue to be seen as the Maison deepens the portfolio of Moët & Chandon’s Collection Impériale with new edition releases scheduled every two years over the next two decades.
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“Our founder Claude Moët conceived the Maison, rooted in Champagne-making excellence, for his time as well as for the generations to come,” said Benoît Gouez, cellar master of Moët & Chandon. “Today, our reserve wine library, one of the largest in the region, has allowed me to craft this creation, which encapsulates the depth of time.”
The creation is a blend of many different wines from the house, acknowledging different years and the processes used. Gouez began work on the collection in 2000, inspired by the new millennium and took 10 years getting the diversity just right. He said it was critical to get the right maturity and freshness as he paid close attention to the different personalities that he combined to create a new “character.”
Moreover, Gouez explained that the first iteration, anchored in Moët & Chandon’s 281 years of savoir-vin uses a 2013 base. “It is a blend of seven remarkable vintages, uniquely produced, selected, aged through different maturation processes and harmoniously assembled: a new expression made possible by our craftsmanship whose foundation lay on Moët Imperial. I am proud to present Collection Impériale Création No. 1 as the ultimate composition to date of Moët & Chandon’s art of Haute Oenologie.”
Gouez describes Collection Impériale Création No. 1 as having a deep, bright yellow hue, reminiscent of a canary diamond, with its aromatic profile being initially reserved before revealing notes such as licorice root, mocha and toast before aromas of a madeleine, fresh hazelnut and vanilla and fruit. The taste plays with freshness and bitters with notes of smoke and licorice.
As the collection is released in the U.S., Moët & Chandon marked the moment by furthering its ongoing relationship with contemporary American artist Daniel Arsham. Inspired by an 1890s stained-glass panel within Moët & Chandon’s cellars in Épernay, Arsham created an avant-garde sculptural relief to encapsulate the Maison’s legacy. The piece is now a permanent fixture in Galerie Impériale.
Additionally, Arsham designed 85 limited-edition bottles, which draw inspiration from the sculptural piece. The bottles serve as packaging for the Collection Impériale Création No. 1 and three-dimensional time capsules, or chest, that will stand after the Champagne is enjoyed.
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