Chandon was originally founded by world-renowned Champagne house Moët & Chandon over thirty years ago, but it has been making a name for itself with its still and sparkling wines ever since. Chandon has two separate winemaking teams that are led by winemakers who are experts in their respective styles. All of its wines are made with the three traditional Champagne varieties–Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier–using both estate fruit and grapes sourced from other top vineyards in the Carneros and Napa Valleys. Sustainability is at the core of Chandon’s practices, both in the vineyards and in the winery.
Chandon produces California’s best Champagne-style sparkling wines and still wines using the three traditional Champagne grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Its properties—in Carneros, Yountville, Mount Veeder, and Lakeville, span over 1,300 acres, and are composed of 64 vineyard blocks.
Chandon is the United States expansion project of famed Champagne house Moët & Chandon. In 1968, Moët & Chandon paired up with Cognac-producer Hennessy and began searching for prime vineyard properties in California. John Wright (Chandon President) and LVMH chairman Count Robert Jean de Vogüe founded Chandon in 1973 and the first Chandon vineyards were planted in 1974. The most important of these vineyards are in Carneros, where Chandon owns 900 acres of vineyard property, making it the largest landowner in the region.
Grapes for the wines also come from a substantial ranch in Yountville (which surrounds the Chandon winery, Visitors Center and étoile restaurant), as well as 200 acres on Mount Veeder planted to Chardonnay, and 100 acres in Lakeville. Chandon was the first producer to plant Pinot Meunier in Napa. Grapes purchased from neighboring growers augment the fruit from these estate vineyards. Each block is farmed, treated, and harvested independently.
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Chandon is committed to sustainable farming and viticultural practices. The philosophy in the vineyard is ultimately to ensure that the land receives as much as it gives. The natural habitat is replenished and controlled, reducing the need for pesticides and herbicides by planting nutrient-rich cover crops and creating an environment for beneficial insects like ladybugs and praying mantis to manage the population of unwanted insects. Chandon also uses recycled water throughout the vineyards. Biodiversity is another focus of work in the vineyards, enriching the sites by providing a habitat for a number of different native plants and animal species, notably owls and raptors. Additionally, Chandon has long been on the cutting edge of wetland conservation, with a full-time soil engineer on staff, working to combat erosion.
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Chandon has two distinct winemaking teams, one for sparkling wines and one for still, that are led by winemakers who are experts in their respective styles.
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Chandon uses Champagne’s method traditionelle to create each of its sparkling cuvées. Once the grapes are pressed, the must is inoculated with yeast and undergoes a seven-day fermentation to create base wines. About 20% of these wines see malolactic fermentation. Then, the sparkling winemaking team, led by Tom Tiburzi, blends as many as 100 unique base wines from 50 vineyards. To help maintain consistency from vintage to vintage, 10-20% of reserve wines from previous vintages are included in these blends. The blended wines then go through secondary fermentation in the bottle. Chandon’s signature house style of wine is well-balanced, has a luscious mouth feel and a long, fresh finish.
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 James Kress is the head winemaker for Chandon’s still wine program, which utilizes the same grape varieties used in the sparkling wines (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier) but also sources grapes from the Russian River Valley and Santa Rita Hills.
For Chandon’s Chardonnay bottlings, the grapes are treated to partial whole cluster pressing and fermentation is begun in tank before being transferred to French oak casks. One-quarter of the production undergoes malolactic fermentation.
Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier are cold-macerated prior to fermentation in open-top fermenters with three pumpovers daily. These wines are aged in French oak for a year prior to release. Chandon is one of the only producers in the U.S. that makes single-varietal bottlings of Pinot Meunier.
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Sparkling Wines
Classic Tier
Chandon Brut Classic
Chandon Blanc de Noirs
Chandon Rosé
Chandon Extra-Dry Riche
Reserve Tier
Chandon Chardonnay Brut
Chandon Pinot Noir Brut
Chandon Pinot Noir Rosé
Vintage
Chandon Vintage Brut
Chandon Mt. Veeder Blanc de Blancs
Still Wines
Chandon Unoaked Chardonnay
Chandon Unoaked Pinot Noir Rosé
Chandon Carneros Chardonnay
Chandon Carneros Pinot Noir
Chandon Carneros Pinot Meunier
Chandon La Rivière Reserve Pinot Noir
Chandon Les Collines Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir
Chandon L’Argile Carneros Pinot Noir
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