Robert Moncuit, 'Les Grands' Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, Champagne, France, NV

Overview of the Wine
The Moncuit family has a long history of farming some of the best vineyards in the Côte des Blancs. They began purchasing land in 1889 and by 1928 were bottling at the domaine. For five generations the family-run Moncuit estate has been farming grapes for the production of wine in Champagne in Les Mesnil-sur-Oger beginning with Alex Moncuit in 1889. In 1928 Robert Moncuit, Alex’s grandson, created the first cuvée and estate bottled champagne. In 1987 Robert’s daughter Francoise took over the estate after the passing of her father, she passed the reins onto her son Pierre Amillet in 2000, Pierre remains at the helm today.

The estate consists of 8 hectares of vines in the Le Mesnil-sur-Oger region of the Côte des Blancs, all of which are farmed without the use of pesticides or herbicides. Fruit is all hand harvested and hand sorted, and each parcel of vines is vinified separately to optimize the outcome of the blending.
The current winemaker, Pierre Amillet, is the fourth generation to lead the winery. If you spend any time with him you quickly realize he is obsessed with Chardonnay grown in the chalky terroirs of Le Mesnil.

Grape / Blend
Chardonnay

Origin
Champagne, France

Tasting Notes
A blend of 100% Chardonnay, 80% from the base vintage and 20% from reserves, which showcases the chalky soils of Mesnil-sur-Oger and Oger. Portions of this cuvée spend time in 228 liter casks, which softens some of the acidity and give it texture. It’s hard to believe this is an Extra-Brut with 0-3g/L dosage because the texture is fairly rich and creamy with a fine mousse that caresses the palate. In the glass there are high citrus notes, fresh baked biscuits with lemon curd, green apple, pear and peach..

92 Points - Vinous
The NV Extra-Brut Les Grands Blancs is a rich, vinous Champagne that shows the more extroverted side of Mesnil. Low dosage brings that out even more. Lemon confit, marzipan dried flowers, spice and chamomile add striking inner sweetness to a wine that balances power with translucent energy. The Grands Blancs is a terrific introduction to these wines. The current release is a blend of vintages 2015 and 2014. Dosage is 3 grams per liter. Disgorged: May, 2019.

91 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Disgorged in May 2019 with three grams per liter dosage, Moncuit's NV Extra-Brut Grand Cru Les Grands Blancs is the latest rendition of the cuvée that formerly simply bore the name Blanc de Blancs. Derived from the 2015 and 2014 vintages, it's showing beautifully, wafting from the glass with aromas of ripe lemons, honeycomb and hints of the warm bread to come with a little more age on cork. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, fleshy but nicely defined, with an open core that reflects its constituent vintages, a delicate mousse and a sapid, penetrating finish.

Product size: 750ml