Domaine Chandon Sparkling Wine
Domaine Chandon is commonly referred to as Chandon They have a number of vineyards located in Carneros, Yountville and Mt. Veeder which supply about 30% of their grapes. Additional grapes are purchased from other growers. The overall producer style is medium to full bodied, yet refined rich and fruit driven.
Chandon Selections
Dry and Sweet
Chandon offers dry and one option that is an extra dry. Their dry sparkling wines are presented first followed by their sweeter label. Our Sweet Champagne web page provides a list of sweet brands.
Chandon Dry Styles
Non-Vintage
Chandon Brut Classic is their house style sparkling wine. They offer a number of non-vintage brut rose', Blanc de Blancs, Blanc de Noirs, and even a sparkling red in their collection. The following links provide a review, tasting notes, retail price, and ratings by Champagne 411, Wine Enthusiast, and/or Wine Spectator.
- Basic
- Rose'
- Blanc de Blancs
- Blanc de Noirs
- Red
Vintage Brut
Chandon's collection of vintage brut sparkling wines include Carneros Brut, Mt. Veeder Brut, and Yountville Brut. Chandon's recent vintages are listed below. Click on a year to find a review, tasting notes, retail price, and ratings by Champagne 411, Wine Enthusiast, and/or Wine Spectator.
Etoile Brut
Etoile is Chandon's prestige brand. Their collection includes Etoile Brut a non-vintage sparkling along with their Tete de Cuvee Vintage brut. Etoile Rose' is a non-vintage rose' style sparkling wine. Click on a link to obtain a review, tasting notes, retail price, and ratings.
- Etoile Basic
- Etoile Rose'
Chandon Sweeter Styles
Riche is Chandon's sweeter option. It is an extra dry wine that is somewhat sweeter than brut. Our Sweet Champagne web page provides a list of additional sweet brands.
Domaine Chandon
Domaine Chandon became the first French-owned sparkling wine endeavor in the United States. Moet & Chandon, the world’s largest champagne house, began its quest for a suitable location in Napa Valley to make world-class sparkling wine. In 1973, The Domaine Chandon brand is widely recognizable and widely distributed.
History
Moet & Chandon began the search for a site for a United States based winery in the 1960s. The partnership of Moet-Hennessy was formed in 1971 and in 1973 they began their procurement with land purchases in Mt. Veeder, Yountville and Carneros. Their first sparkling wines were made at the nearby Trefethen Winery with Chandon's first release in 1976. The visitors' center and winery were opened in Yountville in 1977. The Yountville location has been upgraded and enhanced, but the site has remained the home of Domaine Chandon ever since. Chandon was the first sparkling winery in California to include Pinot Meunier in their blends. Chandon maintains up to 100 base wines from over 50 vineyard blocks. They introduced the use of smaller containers during harvest to help preserve the grapes prior to processing. With a focus on sustainability, the winery has always been innovative and continually embraces new technology. They have incorporated the use of Mytik technical closures for their sparkling wines to help minimize 'cork taint' and they incorporate practices such as macro-oxidation for pre-fermentation must to obtain the ideal level of oxidation. They have anti-erosion catch basins in vineyards to preserve the natural ecosystems and help keep soil in place. Domaine Chandon uses electrodyalysis for tartrate stabilization and to conserve acidity. Birds of prey are used for rodent control.
Along with the winery, Chandon brought fine dining to Napa Valley with the only restaurant located in a winery in the area in 1977. The Michelin star restaurant has subsequently been namee "étoile" in 2006. Chef since 2007, Perry Hoffman is the youngest recipient of a Michelin star in the United States.
Related Subjects
The Winery
Website
Chandon website |
