{"id":2066249,"date":"2026-07-20T17:48:34","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T15:48:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/2026\/07\/20\/moet-chandon-ice-imperial-the-challenge-ice-posed-for-the-blending-process\/"},"modified":"2026-07-20T17:56:59","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T15:56:59","slug":"moet-chandon-ice-imperial-the-challenge-ice-posed-for-the-blending-process","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/2026\/07\/20\/moet-chandon-ice-imperial-the-challenge-ice-posed-for-the-blending-process\/","title":{"rendered":"Mo\u00ebt & Chandon Ice Imp\u00e9rial: The Challenge Ice Posed for the Blending Process"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This summer, Mo\u00ebt & Chandon is launching the second season of its collaboration with Pharrell Williams\u2014and has chosen to highlight a cuv\u00e9e that many Champagne houses would not have dared to publicly champion: a champagne designed to be diluted.<\/p>\n\n

Since 2010, Ice Imp\u00e9rial<\/em> has held a unique position in the company\u2019s portfolio. Not because of its packaging\u2014which has changed over the years\u2014but because of a technical decision made before any aesthetic considerations were taken into account: how to craft a blend that resists dilution caused by ice without losing either its balance or its aromatic character? <\/p>\n\n

The answer lies in two factors. First, the dosage, set at 45 grams of liqueur per liter\u2014more than five times the threshold for a classic Brut. A choice that, in the current context of a Champagne region largely focused on Extra Brut and zero dosage, represents a form of resistance. Second, the grape variety composition: 40 to 50% Pinot Noir for structure, 30 to 40% Pinot Meunier for roundness, and 10 to 20% Chardonnay to maintain tension\u2014a blend designed so that each of the three ice cubes recommended by the serving ritual does not dull the cuv\u00e9e, but rather gradually releases its aromatic layers. <\/p>\n\n

What you get in the glass: a golden color with amber highlights, a nose of mango, guava, and ripe nectarine, with soft spices in the background, and a finish where ginger and citrus lend a sense of freshness rather than heaviness. The pronounced sweetness from the dosage isn\u2019t overpowering\u2014it keeps the champagne in balance against the melting ice. <\/p>\n\n

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Undressing the Bottle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

The 2026 edition, entrusted to Pharrell Williams for the second consecutive year, introduces a stylistic departure: for the first time, Ice Imp\u00e9rial<\/em> appears without its traditional sleeve. The bottle, visually reimagined, is presented bare. This gesture\u2014minimal in appearance\u2014is consistent with the cuv\u00e9e\u2019s philosophy: removing what protects to reveal what endures. <\/p>\n\n

The partnership with La Tarte Trop\u00e9zienne, a Saint-Tropez institution, offers a pairing carefully crafted for each grape variety. The Baby Trop’\u00ae Tropiques, filled with coconut cream and a white peach center, pairs perfectly with notes of mango and mild spices. The Baby Trop’\u00ae Provence, with apricot and citrus zest, is reserved for ros\u00e9. Cellar Master Beno\u00eet Gouez has also created a house cocktail\u2014the \u201cSpicy Mangos\u00e9,\u201d enhanced with agave, cayenne pepper, and Signature Perles de Glace\u2014which implicitly signals that the House fully embraces this realm of summer tasting that some in the industry still view with skepticism. <\/p>\n\n

The question posed by Ice Imp\u00e9rial<\/em>, fifteen years after its launch, is not a technical one. It is one of positioning: How far can a 280-year-old house go in inventing new rituals without compromising the very foundations of its authority? <\/p>\n\n

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Assembly Data<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Ice Imp\u00e9rial<\/em>: 40\u201350% Pinot Noir \/ 30\u201340% Pinot Meunier \/ 10\u201320% Chardonnay. Dosage: 45 g\/liter. Serving suggestion: large glass, three ice cubes. Ice Imp\u00e9rial Ros\u00e9<\/em> available starting at \u20ac54.90; the white cuv\u00e9e starting at \u20ac46. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This summer, Mo\u00ebt & Chandon is launching the second season of its collaboration with Pharrell Williams\u2014and has chosen to highlight a cuv\u00e9e that many Champagne houses would not have dared…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2059524,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[30493],"tags":[79479,79477,79478,79476,79480],"class_list":["post-2066249","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wines-and-spirits","tag-champagne-blending-and-dosage","tag-champagne-on-ice","tag-ice-imperial-2026","tag-pharrell-williams-champagne","tag-wine-cellar-manager-benoit-gouez"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2066249","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2066249"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2066249\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2059524"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2066249"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2066249"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.luxsure.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2066249"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}