If you are passionate about the art of experiencing wine, you cannot miss out on the rare chance to try a Pierre Moncuit champagne. Little known to the general public, the authentic, family-run Pierre Moncuit estate in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is a true gem of the Côte des Blancs subregion of champagne vineyards in France. Passed down from generation to generation, the estate possesses invaluable expertise of inestimable precision. Because our wine tools are designed to celebrate and do justice to such esteemed bottles, L’Atelier du Vin invites you to explore this beautiful ancestral vineyard and the exceptionally fine champagnes that it produces.
The Pierre Moncuit champagne estate: the history of a family and its unique savoir faire
Once upon a time, there was a champagne… It was the elixir of a few hectares of family vines planted in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger in 1889, in the heart of the Côte des Blancs region, the birthplace of many legendary grand cru champagnes. In 1928, Pierre Moncuit decided to begin producing his own wine, convinced of the unique qualities of his land. His masterful savoir faire was nourished by a passion for a single grape variety: Chardonnay, the king of Blanc de Blancs champagne.
His daughter, Nicole, took over the viticulture and wine-making side of the business in 1977, with the precious help of her brother Yves, who took over the marketing of the family’s champagne. In 1982, the first vintage produced by Nicole Moncuit became an international success overnight. Nicole’s exclusive “Vieille Vigne” Grand Cru cuvée remains one of her most beautiful signature vintages.
Then, in 2007, Nicole’s daughter Valérie took over the champagne-making tradition by taking the reins and managing the family estate. Today, the estate’s Hugues de Coulmet cuvée continues, with the utmost discretion, to create a sensation among oenologists, sommeliers, wine merchants and wine lovers around the world. The Pierre Moncuit Grand Cru Vintages, have, for their part, reached the heights of oenological perfection.
The Moncuit family’s unique savoir faire
Outside of insider circles of champagne experts and passionate connoisseurs, the Pierre Moncuit champagne house is much less well-known than other, more famous estates in the Côte des Blancs. In fact, a grand cru champagne produced by Pierre Moncuit has no cause to be jealous of the competition, rivaling its prestigious neighbors in terms of the finesse, richness of taste and pleasure it delivers.
On the Moncuit family’s land, only one grape variety is cultivated, in the Blanc de Blancs tradition: Chardonnay. Perfected by the Champagne region’s chalky soils, this grape variety is explored in all its nuances by the family’s unique savoir faire, which has been passed down from generation to generation.
Faithful to its values, this authentic family estate practices sustainable viticulture in an environmentally friendly way. When the grapes are harvested by hand, the best grapes are delicately selected with precision and care. With the same will to privilege quality over quantity and notoriety, this careful precision is carried on throughout the champagne-making process on the Pierre Moncuit estate.
Each vintage is carefully crafted with love and patience. Allowed to age in the cellar for 3 to 10 years, the Chardonnay has time to round out, without losing any of its freshness, to better reveal its beautiful fruity and floral notes. The bottled result is absolute perfection.
If, one day, you are passing through the Côte des Blancs on the champagne trail, the Pierre Moncuit estate will welcome you by appointment to enjoy a private visit of the property’s cellars, where you can take part in a tasting and sample its grand cru champagnes—the ultimate prize.
Pierre Moncuit champagne: exceptional cuvées
Each cuvée of Pierre Moncuit champagne is like a perfectly executed spell, a wish finally granted. Behind the enchanting bubbles produced by the family’s estate in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger lies more than a century of passionate work in the vineyard, involving skillful wine-making wisdom and patience in the cellar that has been well rewarded. Here is a little taster:
- The Pierre Moncuit-Delos Grand Cru cuvée
- The Nicole Moncuit “Vieille Vigne” Grand Cru cuvée
- The Hugues de Coulmet cuvée
- The Pierre Moncuit Grand Cru Rosé
- The Pierre Moncuit Grand Cru Vintages
The Pierre Moncuit-Delos Grand Cru cuvée
The house’s flagship vintage, the Pierre Moncuit-Delos Grand Cru cuvée was created as a tribute to a visionary man with exceptional savoir faire and his wife, who together earned the family estate its reputation for excellence.
This exquisite Brut champagne is a genuine Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs with a formidable character that is both fresh and lively. Its grapefruit and lemon aromas sparkle merrily as the fine bubbles of the vintage emerge in a delicate constellation. Perfect paired with a seafood platter, it should be served in real champagne tasting flutes.
The Pierre Moncuit-Delos cuvée is also available in Extra-Brut. Greatly appreciated for its beautiful mineral character, it goes well with delicate fish or poultry dishes.
The Nicole Moncuit “Vieille Vigne” Grand Cru cuvée
An exceptional champagne, the Nicole Moncuit “Vieille Vigne” Grand Cru cuvée is a remarkable Brut. Produced from the family’s soon-to-be century-old vines in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, this rare Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs champagne embodies the ancestral heritage of the Moncuit family vineyard, passionately refined by the talent and signature style of Nicole, the daughter of Pierre Moncuit.
Only produced and bottled when there is an exceptional vintage, Nicole Moncuit’s “Vieille Vigne” Grand Cru champagne is unique. Distinguished as much by its rarity as by its maturity, it honors the family’s commitment to delivering only the best of Chardonnay grapes from the Champagne region or nothing at all. Patiently matured for 10 years in the estate’s cellars, each bottle holds a treasure within its glass walls.
Creamy and silky on the palate, this exquisite Blanc de Blancs champagne extends the pleasure of a deliciously effervescent kiss to the fullest extent possible. The delicate Nicole Moncuit “Vieille Vigne” champagne reveals the rich bouquet of its fruity aromas, creating a sense of intense indulgence accented with light woody notes. Keep your bottle cool in style in an elegant champagne bucket so that your guests can appreciate its beautiful form.
Our favorite: the Hugues de Coulmet cuvée
Quite the sensation among connoisseurs, sommeliers and wine merchants in recent years, Pierre Moncuit’s extraordinary Hugues de Coulmet cuvée is slowly but surely becoming one of the star champagnes of the Côte des Blancs.
Meticulously produced by the Moncuit family from their few hectares of Chardonnay vines in Sézanne, in addition to their vineyards in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, this irresistible Brut Blanc de Blancs is a real gem.
With the signature freshness and delicate finesse that characterizes all of Pierre Moncuit’s champagnes, the Hugues de Coulmet cuvée is a masterpiece, revealing beautifully rounded, sumptuous notes of lily, jasmine and peach in a divinely perfumed caress.
Also available as a Demi-Sec, which goes perfectly with chocolate desserts and foie gras, the Hugues de Coulmet Brut cuvée can be served throughout the meal to delight and surprise champagne lovers. Make sure you don’t lose a drop by using a champagne cork opener to open your bottle like an expert.
The Pierre Moncuit Grand Cru Rosé champagne
The only champagne produced by the house to feature a blend of different grape varieties, the Pierre Moncuit Grand Cru Rosé cuvée is a harmonious marriage made up of 88% Chardonnay from the family’s estate in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and 12% Pinot Noir from Bouzy.
Aged for 3 years in the cellar before leaving to discover the world, this grand cru champagne is a lovely Brut rosé with a very fresh, light and mineral style. With subtle aromas of red berries that reveal themselves with a mischievous sense of indulgence, it is ideal served as an aperitif or paired with a fruity dessert.
To preserve all its sparkle after opening and offering your first service, we recommend closing the bottle temporarily with a stylish champagne stopper.
The Pierre Moncuit Grand Cru Vintages
Now that we have explored Pierre Moncuit’s different cuvées, we finally arrive at the last door of the estate’s wine cellar to discover the ultimate secrets of the cellar master: the Pierre Moncuit Grand Cru Vintages.
Words would not suffice to describe these exquisite champagnes, which is why you have to sample them for yourselves to experience the divine nectar revealed by the exceptional harvests of 2006 and 2010 after at least 8 years of aging in the cellar. Embark on a stunning tasting journey and try:
- Grand Cru Brut 2006 Vintage—fragrant, with saline and chalky qualities
- Grand Cru Non Dosé 2006 Vintage—subtly iodized and smoky aromas
- Grand Cru Brut 2010 Vintage—with brioche notes and hints of ripe apricots
- Grand Cru Extra-Brut 2010 Vintage—a vivacious vintage with a floral bouquet
To do justice to such a prestigious tasting, you will need to open your sommelier’s toolbox and use the right tools. You’ll find all the miraculous instruments required in our Oeno Box Connoisseur gift set, which presents a collection of L’Atelier du Vin’s iconic wine and champagne accessories in a beautiful box crafted in solid maple and birch wood.