It was remarked at a small tasting of a few Champagnes at Oddbins recently that Moet changed the style of Brut Imperial a couple of years ago from a tight and austere wine that developed quite well with a year or two in cellar to be more forward and accessible. That certainly accords with my impressions of tasting it over the years. It used to seem odd to me that the market leader whose wines were likely to be drunk soon after purchase was releasing wines that really needed cellaring, but I don't care for the new style at all - the fruit has a grassy, leafy edge that I find quite off-putting. It's a shame Moet felt they couldn't release the wine a bit later instead of indulging in a dumbing-down exercise.

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