Winery & Vintage Info
Each Grand Vintage is unique, a free and personal interpretation of the year by Moet & Chandon's Cellar Master. The 76th vintage in the history of the House, Grand Vintage 2015 is distinctive for its brilliance, tender bouquet and enveloping palate.
Grand Vintage 2015 evokes an awakening, the first rays of a day full of promise. It is bright, tender, and enveloping.
Heat, sunshine and drought are the hallmarks of the year 2015 in Champagne.
After a rather mild winter, the spring was one of contrast. It began with extreme cold, nevertheless without frost, abruptly followed by a long period of heat, drought and exceptional sunshine from mid-May to mid-August. Only 39% of the normal rainfall for the period and an insolation equivalent to 2003, with an average temperature 3°C above normal in June. There were only a few rainy episodes, noteworthy for their violence. Despite these extreme conditions, flowering remained within the ten-year average, between June 11 and 15.
The dry conditions continued until the middle of August, causing water stress in some areas, slowing down or even blocking the ripening of the grapes in certain places. Fortunately, the second half of August marked the end of the drought with the return of rain accompanied by a drop in temperature, which boosted the ripening process. In the end, grape maturation was rapid, with a particularly small gap between flowering and harvest, from 82 days for Chardonnay to 88 days for Pinot Noir. 2003 still holds the record with 81 days for all grape varieties, but with a much lower yield. Beyond that, we must go back to 1976 and 1959 to observe such fast maturation.
However, the month of August 2015 was still the warmest since 1961. After 2003 in particular, these contrasts of hygrometry and temperature are among the many signals calling out to us about climate change.
The harvest started on September7 under a welcome sunshine and in a serene atmosphere, despite a heterogeneous progression of maturity due to the hydric stress. The harvest spanned 21 days between the earliest and latest vineyards. The health and the yield were satisfactory. The juices flowed well, and maturity was good with an average of 10.5% Vol of potential alcohol. With 6.9 g H2S04/L and an average pH of 3.09, the acidity was below the ten-year average but not cause for concern, this value being close to 2005 and 2006. Beyond that we must go back to 1999 and especially 2003 to find lower levels of acid. All these years produced generous vintages.
44% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay, 24% Meunier
