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When the wines of Robert Moncuit first arrived on our shores a few years ago, the Champagnes were virtually unknown in the states. That quickly changed.
Personally, I was struck by the incredible energy and precision of everything I tasted and my obsession developed swiftly.
During my visit to Moncuit earlier this year, winemaker Pierre Amillet mentioned that 2008 would mark the inaugural release from the Chétillons vineyard.
It wasn’t available to taste quite yet, but I immediately started angling to try the wine. When I finally landed a taste, the wine was simply killer.
I'm very excited to offer the world premiere of this wine. It seems destined to be one of Champagne's important, cult bottlings.
It’s impossible not to set a high bar for Chétillons, especially when it’s from the 2008 vintage. Chétillons lies in the village of Mesnil, which produces some of the most profound expressions of Chardonnay on the planet.
What makes a piece of earth as special as Chétillons remains mysterious. However, there are obvious signs of Chétillons’ greatness. Champagne expert Peter Liem once explained that "Les Chétillons is perfectly placed in the mid-slope, with the ideal combination and proportion of hard chalk and sedimentation washed down from the slope that characterizes most of Champagne's great vineyards." Moncuit’s 55+ year old vines add further depth and complexity.
Pierre Peters’ gorgeous examples of Chétillons, which have been bottled separately since 1971, brought the hillside heaps of praise. Aided by 55+ year old vines, Moncuit’s delivers on all the promise of Chétillons. The 2008 Chétillons boasts the penetrating, ultra-elegant minerality the sums up Mesnil at its best with an expansive complexity. The combination of breadth and tension is mesmerizing.
The 2008 vintage in Champagne is shaping up to be one of the best of this century so far. Combine a banner vintage with an exceptional vineyard like Chétillons, and add to it the staggering quality of Moncuit and you get a truly captivating Wine of the Year.
To order, email us at offers@crushwineco.com or call the store at (212) 980-9463.
Ian McFadden
Director, Fine & Rare Wine
Crush Wine & Spirits
2008 Robert Moncuit Chétillons