At the venue entrance was a youthful looking man, who later introduced himself as the deputy manager of the hotel. Immediately, I got talking with Marc Wozniak until we were later joined by Alex Kothoor, director, GDN; David Hourdry, marketing manager, Western Africa, Moet Hennessey, and Pascal Pecriaux, Moet & Chadon ambassador, who was later at the centre of activities that afternoon, as his grey moustache is a symbol of the true Frenchman that he is.
For more than 30 years, Pecriaux has been the ambassador for Moet & Chadon, and his job is to travel to places tasting champagne and to talk. Since 2005, Pécriaux has been the world’s most popular wine ambassador as well as a holder of some impressive records: 100 trips to 60 countries in 10 years, and some 15,000 people trained.
A traveller on behalf of champagne, he effectively conveys the message of the Moet brand. “In wine tasting, you are not supposed to be right or wrong,” he explains, “the first question to ask is: do you like it or not?” According to him, while tasting wine, one has to taste for the bright fruitiness to tell the kind of fruit it is made of, for example grape, blackcurrant, etc.
The other thing to taste for is the seductive palate – for the sharp, precise, refreshing taste when the champagne spreads all over the mouth. “It is a taste of elegant maturity. It is very thin, smooth with fruity aroma that is slightly acidic,” he adds.
Moët Impérial is the flagship variant of Moët & Chandon, which reflects the diversity of the three champagne grapes and the richness of the region’s best vineyards to reveal the magic of the world’s most loved champagne. It is known for its exotic fruitiness, a generous palate and a confident maturity that continually seduces and delights.
It is a combination of crus in Champagne, with a predominance of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier plus Chardonnay for freshness. The colour is an elegant golden straw yellow with amber highlights. “Its aromas reveal an exotic fruitiness of yellow peach, plum, pineapple and honey with floral nuances like lime blossom and elegant brioche, and fresh nuts. The palate is seductive and generous, combining intensity with roundness, fullness with suppleness, followed by a lively crisp finish to reveal the magical balance of champagne.
Moët Impérial can be served as an overture to dinner and all the way through to dessert. It is perfect with snails, shellfish and stewed fish, barbeque, goat meat or fish pepper soup and fresh fruit salads. On the other hand, the Rosé Impérial, another variant, is the most extrovert and seductive expression of the Moët & Chandon style. Lively and generous, Rosé Impérial distinguishes itself by a radiant colour, an intense fruitiness and flamboyance on the palate, that instantly seduces and delights. Rosé Impérial is built on the intensity of Pinot Noir, the fruitiness of Pinot Meunier, and the finesse of Chardonnay. The colour is a glowing pink with dominant red tones and purple highlights.
The aromas are intense and irresistible, a lively bouquet of fresh red summer berries such as strawberry, raspberry and red currant with floral nuances like rose, hawthorn and a light peppery touch. The palate is flamboyant and combines intensity and roundness: fleshy and juicy at first, then firm, with a subtle herbal mint finish.
Pecriaux explanations were ecstatic and quite revealing, as wine tasting is a quite different from serving; yet they kind of complement each other. Respect for the wine by making space for it in the glass, and consumer is core while serving. “Champagne should be served chilled. Cooling it down in the fridge will take more than 16 hours because it is contained in a thick glass. Hence, it is better to cool it in an ice bucket which takes one and a half hours to cool.”
To serve champagne, take a napkin, place the bottle on it with the head titled backwards towards you to show the guest the name. Mention the name of the product and then the vintage. Before you do any service, study the label, tear the black tab with care.
Remove the top of the foil, twist the iron and place your fore finger on the cork to open. Pour a little in the glass so that the guest can taste it first; while serving, serve the host first and then serve from the right with the lady first. Put your thumb in the hole at the bottom to serve. Since it creation in 1743, the Moet brand is known as the royal wine and the aristocratic fete.