New Blood in Mesnil
2007 Robert Moncuit Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru
I've been obsessed with Robert Moncuit's 2007
I'm a sucker for Blanc de Blancs Champagne and Moncuit's village of Le Mesnil is holy ground for Chardonnay.
Mesnil delivers Chardonnay at its most precise, energetic and chalky. It is all about refinement and minerality. It's one of the most riveting Champagnes on the planet.
I opened a bottle for the staff recently and everyone was shocked by how impressively it showed. Robert Moncuit's 2007 delivers loads of Mesnil character in a very attractive style and at a price that's very affordable. It really stands out in these regards.
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| Pierre Amillet grandson of founder & winemaker at Champagne Robert Moncuit |
It was important for me to price packs very sharply, because this is something that you'll want around in quantity. It's really rare that quality, value and characterful accessibility intersect the way they do in this bottle.
Robert Moncuit doesn't have a huge reputation in the United States (and pricing reflects that), but is widely known in Champagne. They have impressive holdings, including in Chetillons, one of Mesnil's top sites made famous by Pierre Peters.
Mesnil, along with a reputation for greatness, is also known to tend to a certain severity. The chalky minerality can have an intense edge. What I love about Moncuit's 2007 is that it's emphatically Mesnil without forsaking the pleasure principle.
Amillet's sensitive farming (he avoids pesticides and herbicides), the age of his vines and having vines in choice sites explain the 2007s substantial minerality and overall palate presence. A good part of the wine comes from a parcel in Chetillons planted in 1956. The chalky minerality is tactile and packed by ample amounts of ripe citrus.
Moncuit's 2007 Blanc de Blancs delivers an incredible amount of terroir character and is simply very impressive for the money. This is something that I've drunk over a case of in the past couple months. It's a wine that remains interesting each time that I drink it and is accessible enough to pour for a wide group of people. For me that's an unbeatable combination.
To order, reply to offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits