A grand old time

Moët & Chandon showcase Grand Vintage Collection in Shanghai, with the help of Scarlett Johansson

Vintage fizz is one of the great matches for food – often providing some of the best value too – but it seldom gets the limelight it deserves. Not so a week ago in Shanghai, when Moët & Chandon laid on a very special dîner du siècle, hosted by CEO Daniel Lalonde and Moët muse Scarlett Johansson, where its Grand Vintage Collection took star billing. The venue for the dinner was the Shanghai Peninsula’s breathtaking rooftop overlooking the Bund.

The purpose of the dinner was to celebrate Moët’s long history in China, which called for something a bit special on the wine front. This was provided in no small measure by Moët’s 1911 Grand Vintage – a 100-year-old wine for an association that started precisely 100 years after the founding of the house in 1743. Other wines served were the 1988 Grand Vintage and the 1988 Grand Vintage Rosé.

The 1911, which was disgorged in January 2011 by Moët’s charismatic chef de cave Benoît Gouez, was a real revelation: still exquisitely satisfying, full of layers and complexity, with surprising amounts of fruit. The palate was mainly shaped by earthy notes of truffle, mushroom and tobacco, and a faint smokiness. Gouez complimented the candied citrus fruits, honey and mocha of the wine, as well as its supple, smooth texture and very discreet bubbles. All of which played beautifully with a complex pork dish that perfectly reflected the character of the wine and a steamed Seven Star Garoupa fish laden with truffles.

Both of the younger wines were served from magnums, with the 1988 GV disgorged in October 2003 and the 1988 GV Rosé disgorged in September 2004.

The 1988 Grand Vintage had a charming nose of sweet almonds and acacia that gave way to a vigorous peachy intensity on the palate and an unexpected freshness that made a mockery of its age. It was generous and charming.

The 1988 Grand Vintage Rosé was a little more demanding, with a Burgundy-like Pinot aroma, evolved and bready, and leaner citrus fruit on the palate but a delicious mineral character.

Moët may be famous for the success of its Brut Impérial and increasingly its Rosé Brut Impérial, but its unrivalled 69-wine-strong Grand Vintage Collection is a real jewel in the crown. Wines that smack you in the face with their pedigree.

Other vintages currently available in the UK are the 1990, 1992 and 1995.