Behold the 2013 Grand Vintage Champagne from Moet-Chandon! This is the most recent Grand Vintage from this champagne house and we were able to taste it and the corresponding rose. But before we made it to the champagne house we walked down the Avenue of Champagnes. There are so many brands we have never heard of. One more thing to master in retirement. We saw the excursion balloon down at the end of the avenue and then turned around to go to our tasting.
this is an excursion balloon that we did not take. It was cold and windy and of course 1000 feet into the air is a bit too high
A shadow of his former self
Grand houses
The riddling racks
Even the fences are ornate
Each house is more grand than the last
We have seen this bear sculpture somewhere else, not sure where...
25 foot carved wooden doors
I could live here
Door knocker
Napoleon was buddy with Moet and stayed here on his way to conquer Europe. It is at the head of a formal french garder, The garden is ringed with trees and from the air the trees take on the shape of a giant wine bottle. This house is the cork of that giant wine bottle
Here we come
I like this place
Memorial in the circle at the end of the Avenue
The balloon is very elaborate
A spacious gondola
Heavy duty winches to take you up and bring you down
Don't land on this pointy spire!
Yet another fancy piece of architecture
Dom the Monk did not actually invent champagne, he just had a good PR guy
Napoleon's actual hat. Purchased 100 years after his birth
Here is one of the owners right after he bought the hat. He bought it on a Napoleon themed cruise
Looking out at the wine cork house
The obligatory wine glass pyramid
Old time advertisement
The special vintages and commemorative bottles were on display
Into the depths we go
3D view of the region
Both Dom Perignon bottles and Moet-Chandon bottles are stored in these cellars
The good stuff is locked up
Behold the finest and newest vintage
the newest Grand Vintage on a place of honor
110 km of cellars
A barrel of port wine that Napoleon left here in 1810 so that he could stop by for a snort of the port
That is what I said
Riddling racks
Row after row of bottles
the Dom Perignon bottles get stored for 12 , 20 and 25 years
Terra Cotta tiles
We have emerged and are ready for a snort of the good stuff
Here we go! Morning drinking
So tasty and smooth
Fine bubble structure
Mr, Penguin looking dapper
Another wine glass pyramid but this time with more modern champagne glasses
The displays were all superb
