Description & elaboration
The Grand Vintage Collection 2004 cuvée by Moët & Chandon is a vintage champagne. It is a champagne with notes of ripe pineapple — roasted almond — warm brioche, with a creamy texture on the palate. A rare bottle, presented in a wooden case, perfect for the grandest celebrations.
The Terroir
The Moët & Chandon vineyard covers more than 1,100 hectares in Champagne. This cuvée draws on plots from Chouilly, Cramant and Aÿ, three Grand Cru-classified villages.
The vines are rooted in outcropping belemnite chalk, a Cretaceous sedimentary rock that regulates summer water supply. Its natural drainage prevents any excess moisture. The chalk absorbs the heat of the day and releases it at night, promoting slow and progressive ripening of the grapes.
The limestone bedrock imparts a strict mineral tension to the musts.
The vinification
Cellar master Benoît Gouez orchestrates the blend: 38% Chardonnay for structure, 33% Pinot Noir for fleshy fruit, 29% Meunier for roundness. Each variety comes from the Grand Cru plots of Chouilly, Cramant and Aÿ.
Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks. The house systematically carries out full malolactic fermentation, which softens the structure without erasing its tension. The wine then begins its long second fermentation on laths.
The Collection designation implies a deliberately delayed disgorgement — a minimum of fifteen years on laths. Yeast autolysis generates aromas of toasted bread and marzipan.
The addition of dosage liqueur remains minimal — 5 g/L — to maintain the freshness and tension of the vintage. Lovers of a dry Brut will appreciate this straight, crystalline profile.
A vintage champagne
The year 2004 offered ideal climatic conditions for the Champagne vineyards. The mild spring ensured steady vegetative development. Summer brought consistent sunshine, without heat waves, while moderate rainfall prevented any water stress.
A dry September promoted sugar concentration in the berries. The harvest began with grapes in impeccable health, with no notable disease. The Chardonnay retained a pronounced total acidity, an essential structure for long ageing. The Pinot Noir developed a firm, fleshy character.
The harvested Meunier displays a well-balanced roundness on the palate.
Tasting
Colour
The colour presents a luminous straw gold hue, animated by copper-tinged reflections.
Nose
The first nose opens on roasted peach. Oxygenation reveals intense aromas of roasted almond and marzipan, the signature of prolonged autolysis. Ripe white fruits follow gently.
The glass then releases hints of brown sugar, pear and warm brioche.
Palate
The attack on the palate offers an enveloping creamy texture. The mid-palate reveals indulgent notes of rhubarb, underpinned by the minerality of the chalky soil.
The finish lingers on a hint of mentholated grapefruit. The length is marked by a persistent salinity.
Food pairing suggestions
- Lightly grilled prawns
- Smoked salmon toasts
- Gougères with aged Comté
- Roasted salmon fillet
- Wood-smoked eel
- Sea bass in a salt crust
- Raw milk Chaource
- Mirabelle plum tart
- Aged Comté 24 months
The Plus de Bulles expert's opinion
Why I love it?
What moves me about this 2004 is its masterly balance between maturity and freshness. I was won over by its creamy texture and notes of white peach, underscored by a saline and delicately smoky finish.
My recommendation
Serve it at 8–10 °C in a wine glass to unlock its complexity. A pairing with roasted turbot or chicken with morel mushrooms will be ideal.
Advice
How to store this champagne?
Plus de Bulles ships this bottle (75 cl) in reinforced transport cartons, specially designed for champagne. The original wooden case protects the glass against shocks throughout the journey.
After receipt, store the bottle horizontally, away from light. Ideally in a cellar; alternatively, in a cool, not too dry place at a stable temperature. A calm environment, free from vibrations, preserves the wine's evolution over time.
Ageing potential
The profile of this Grand Vintage Collection 2004 will continue to evolve over the years. This Extra-Brut has an estimated ageing capacity of 25 years.
- Up to 2024: the cuvée offered a fruity purity dominated by fresh pineapple.
- From 2026: the champagne evolved towards unctuous notes of marzipan and roasted coffee.
- Around 2030: the vintage will enter its tertiary maturity, marked by nuances of honey, gentle spices and candied fruits.
Serving advice
Serve this vintage at 8–10 °C to preserve its fine effervescence. A higher temperature would mask the tension provided by the belemnite chalk. Opt for a fairly wide tulip glass, whose opening concentrates the toasty aromas towards the taster.
Gradual chilling in an ice-water bucket is optimal — avoid the freezer. Moderate oxygenation awakens the deep aromas of the grape varieties, and the slow warming in the glass will release nuances of honey.
A note about this cuvée
The term Collection refers to specific batches deliberately set aside by the oenologist, stored sur pointe in the chalk cellars of Épernay. The technical team intentionally delays the disgorgement of these bottles, thereby altering the wine's natural evolution under a cork.
This approach illustrates the creative signature of the Moët house. The Collection series redefines the classic vintage through extended ageing: fifteen years on laths versus seven for the standard version. This additional time delivers to enthusiasts a fully blossomed cuvée with pronounced roasted almond aromas.
Through its vinification and aromatic profile, this cuvée is not without echoes of the unique character of a vintage champagne.
