Chandon was founded by Claude Moët in Champagne, France in 1743.The winery is now owned by the Moët & Chandon Company and is known for their traditional French champagne.
Chandon owns 1,000 acres of vineyards located in Yountville, Carneros, and Mount Veeder.The Yountville location takes advantage of a warmer climate to concentrate on Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.Carneros, in Napa Valley, enjoys cool breezes and alluvial soil to produce Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier.Mount Veeder uses the sloped of the Mayacames Range to grow small Chardonnay grapes with intense flavors in steep, well-drained gravelly soil.The company uses sustainable farming.
Chandon has two winemakers.Tom Tiburzi concentrates on their sparkling wine production.He has worked for Chandon since 1989 and is the son of an Italian immigrant family with a background in retail wine and spirits.He earned a degree in Environmental Studies in Biology from UC Berkeley.James Kress is the still wine winemaker for Chandon and joined the company in 2005.He holds a Master of Science in viticulture and enology from UC Davis and a Bachelors from Cornell in hotel administration.His professional background began in the hospitality industry and led to several years of experience in the California wine business.
Varietals produced by Chandon include Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Pinot Meunier.Their Still Wines are created from Champagne varietals and include Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and two unoaked wines.Chandon’s Sparkling Wine series offers a Classic line and a Reserve collection.Classics are a Brut Classic, Blanc de Noirs, Rosé, Riche, and Sparkling Red.The Reserve series offers a Chardonnay Brut, Pinot Noir Brut, Pinot Noir Rosé, Club Chandon Crémant, Reserve Club Chandon Cuvée, and a Vintage Brut.They also offer an Etoile line of exclusive, limited edition sparkling wines including a Brut and a Rosé, and the Exclusive series of sparkling and still wines made in limited batches and offering several selections including their DKNY Twenty Year Cuvée.
The winery was named Winery of the Year by the California Tourism Industry Association for their commitment to furthering the cause of California wines.Their wines have won countless awards.The 2006 Carneros Chardonnay received 91 points from Wine Spectator.The Chandon Riche was awarded a gold medal and Best of Class at the 2004 California State Fair Wine Competition and one of 10 “everyday wine” recommendations from the December 2004 issue of Gourmet Magazine.The Chandon Reserve Pinot Noir Brut was rated by Wine Enthusiast and received 93 points and Editor’s Choice.
Fun facts: Domaine Chandon was the first California sparkling wine producer to be established by a French house using only the traditional method, and the first California winery to use Pinot Meunier in its sparkling wines.In 2008 Chandon was chosen as the exclusive provider of sparkling wines for all White House events.
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