Benoît Gouez

Coming Up

Not hailing from a traditional viticultural family, Gouez entered the world of wine through intuition and circumstance. He first encountered the house's bottles at age 16 during a summer spent at his uncle's home in England, where the cellar held stock from the maison. Gouez entered Moët & Chandon as a winemaker in 1998, working through the cellar hierarchy and internalizing the estate's blending discipline. The contrast between empirical science, technical tools, and sensory evaluation defined his technical trajectory through the house's cuveries. At age 35, Gouez stepped into the chief winemaking post, mastering the specific palate profiles and high-volume consistency required for lines such as Brut Impérial. His stewardship of the maison's vintage program included presenting releases such as the 2002 Grand Vintage and 2002 Grand Vintage Rosé, highlighting harvest-specific character alongside house signature. Extending traditional blending practices, in 2011 he introduced Moët & Chandon Ice Impérial, a cuvée blended intentionally to maintain aromatic profile and structural balance when served over ice, establishing an entirely new consumption format in the region.

Where They Are Now

Benoît Gouez serves as Cellar Master and Chef de Cave at Moët & Chandon in Épernay, a position he has held since 2005. Working out of the estate's historic base, he remains responsible for the stylistic continuity of Brut Impérial, prestige releases such as Collection Impériale Création No. 1, and the ongoing direction of reserve wines.

Career - Winemaker — Moët & Chandon (1998–2005) - Cellar Master / Chef de Cave — Moët & Chandon (2005–present)

FAQ What is Benoît Gouez's current role? Benoît Gouez is the Cellar Master and Chef de Cave at Moët & Chandon in Épernay, leading winemaking and blending since 2005. When did Benoît Gouez join Moët & Chandon? He joined the house in 1998 as a winemaker before being appointed cellar master at the age of 35 in 2005.