Our Growers:

Champagne Pierre Moncuit is universally regarded as one of the finest small growers in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, one of the finest Grand Cru villages of the profoundly chalky, long southeast-facing series of slopes known as the Côte des Blancs. This is the home of the finest Chardonnay grapes in Champagne, bar none, as well as the most expensive grapes in Champagne, of any variety. The wine made by Nicole Moncuit and marketed by her brother, Yves, is in a style of champagne that is very lively, delicate and refreshing. They make an apéritif champagne par excellence from their 20-hectare estate mainly around Le Mesnil but with 5 hectares in Sézanne (from which they make the Hugues de Coulmet). The policy at Champagne Moncuit is to bottle one year's produce at a time without blending in reserve wine. Hugues de Coulmet Brut Blanc de Blancs: The current Hugues de Coulmet is from the 2004 harvest. It is round and persistent in the mouth, brisk and intense. It is full of finesse with aromas of white flowers (lilies and jasmine). It is great for parties and receptions, from start to finish, with canapés or with dainty desserts. Cuvée Pierre Moncuit-Delos (formerly Cuvée Réserve, but the name was changed to honor Mme Pierre Moncuit, mother of the current owners, whose maiden name was Delos): The vines of Champagne Moncuit are very old for the Cote des Blancs--

the average age of the vines that go into the Cuvée Pierre Moncuit-Delos is 30-35 years old. And these are the Moncuits' "young vines": the older, truly old vines from their best exposed sites go into their vintage champagnes. The vines, all in Mesnnil, have, like all old vines, lower yields, better ripeness of the fruit, and yield more concentrated juice. The wine spends over 3 years on its lees of yeast in the bottle before being disgorged.. This is a pure Le Mesnil chardonnay at a great value. The wine is in perfect balance; it is brilliant, crystalline Chardonnay of tremendous minerality and length. It is dense (rather than round) and full in the mouth, but its "middle" of complex flavor goes all the way back; it finishes very long. It is its tight minerality that gives it its combination of power and finesse. Aromatics range from citrus fruits (pineapple and lemons) and white flowers to fine notes of brioche and spice. The San Francisco Chronicle, in an article dated May 11, 2006, says that the world-renowned sommelier at the San Francisco restaurant, Jardinière, chose this wine as one of his favorites: "Bracing, bright and as sunny as springtime captured in glass, this Champagne tastes like purity itself. Lightly toasted and infinitely well-balanced, it will shine with any shellfish and make you stand up and salute the raw oysters you eat it with." Nicole Moncuit Cuvée Vieilles Vignes: A Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru, it is very fresh, full of vivacity, finesse and balance and finishes with a good minerality typical of the Mesnil. This wine is produced in small quantities and only in very good years. It is not only fresh and delicate, but also complex, rich and dense. It is superb with croissants for breakfast or shellfish for dinner, but also goes well with appetizers such as those made with gruyère cheese.

Brut Millésime: The vintage wines of the domaine are the result of a single harvest in years when the grapes are representative of the terroir. The wine is aged at least 4 years for the most recent ones and up to 10 years for the older ones.

Website: www.pierre-moncuit.fr