Why it matters
The producer
The house is built around Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Chardonnay. Moncuit Blanc de Blancs wines reflect the village terroir, with a racy mineral character and generous youthful fruit. The majority of the estate's vines are 50 years or older.
Champagne Pierre Moncuit is a family house with vineyard, winemaking, commercial, and management roles passing through several generations. Pierre Moncuit established the commercial house under his own name, Nicole Moncuit developed the viticulture and winemaking, and Valérie Charpentier joined the estate to work alongside her mother.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is the home village for Pierre Moncuit's Blanc de Blancs wines. The village is associated with steely mineral Champagne, and the house's Chardonnay bottlings reflect that character through their chalk linked expression.
The range keeps the village at its center while adding different forms of selection. Rosé combines Chardonnay from Le Mesnil with Pinot Noir from Ambonnay. Cuvée Nicole comes from the Les Chétillons lieu-dit, while vintage Grand Cru bottlings distinguish the best years.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
All Moncuit wines come from a single vintage, without reserve wine blended into the production. In Champagne, reserve wine is used to soften differences between harvests; keeping one vintage in each bottling leaves the growing season as the basis of the wine.
The wines undergo complete malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks, with no oak ageing. Malolactic fermentation changes sharper malic acid into softer lactic acid, while stainless steel contributes no oak flavour to the wine.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range includes Blanc de Blancs wines, Brut Rosé, Cuvée Nicole, and vintage Grand Cru bottlings. Blanc de Blancs means Champagne made from white grapes, here centered on Chardonnay from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.
The Rosé is made from 90% Chardonnay from Le Mesnil and 10% Pinot Noir from Ambonnay. Cuvée Nicole comes from two adjacent parcels in the Les Chétillons lieu-dit. Vintage Grand Cru bottlings are made in the best years and need more time than the nonvintage Mesnil wine.