Champagne Wars: Moët Hennessy USA Sues Armand de Brignac Over 'Number One Rating' Claim

Moët Hennessy USA, the company that produces Dom Pérignon, Krug and Moët & Chandon Champagnes, has filed suit against Armand de Brignac Champagne claiming false advertising.

The New York Post writes that the issue at hand is Armand de Brignac’s claim of being “rated the number one Champagne in the world," a designation that Moët Hennessy USA says stems from a one-time rating by Finnish commentator Essi Avellan MW’s FINE Champagne Magazine.

The suit states that only one of Armand de Brignac's cuvées, the Brut Gold NV, was rated number one, and "that rating occurred in 2010." By claiming an overall number one status, it “is intentionally misleading consumers” about the quality of its product.

Moët Hennessy USA continues its condemnation in court papers and demands compensation:

Since then, Armand de Brignac Brut Gold NV has fared much worse in that periodical’s testing, rated number 23 in 2011, and number 22 in 2012 ... In addition to barring the company from using the “number one” rating, the suit seeks unspecified damages for unfair competition and all of Armand de Brignac’s profits from “its false and misleading advertisement.

Regardless of whether it deserves the "number one" designation it claims, Armand de Brignac has proved immensely popular -- and pricey. Following his remarkable performance at the London Olympics, track star Usain Bolt was treated to 15l Nebuchadnezzar of Armand de Brignac Brut Gold NV worth roughly $125,568 (£80,000).