Champagne Pierre Moncuit resides in the preeminent village of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger in the Côtes des Blancs – just a few kilometers from Epernay with chardonnay planted as its main varietal, covering 95% of vineyard land. Chalk-laden and acidic, the soils here lend a mineral-esque, zippy-fresh, and indisputable firmness of character to the sparkling wines produced from these grapes. (This is the hallmark that makes this land my absolute favorite spot in the globe for chardonnay!) Pierre Moncuit and his wife, Odile Moncuit-Delos, started their Champagne house in 1889, and it’s passed hands within the family ever since. From 1997 onward, brother-and-sister team Nicole and Yves Moncuit have co-captained the ship – Nicole managing the vineyards and making the wines, Yves heading up the commercial side of things. In recent years, Nicole’s daughter Valérie has actively taken on many of the winemaking duties in the cellar.

The Moncuit family owns 15 (of its total 20) hectares of vineyards in the Grand Cru sector of the widely celebrated Le Mesnil-sur-Oger – and their vines are some of the oldest in the area, planted over 30 years ago. (For context, many Champagne rootstocks get replanted around their 25th birthday.) Yet, the fruit holds up in its freshness and flavor profile entirely – strongly showcasing the characteristics and nuances of its corresponding terroirs. Henceforth, the Moncuits are insistent on never blending wines from different villages, and they only produce their wines from a single vintage in order for each wine to accurately express the year’s particular growing season. This highly intentional process makes for an intriguing process watching the evolution in the cellar unfold for each vintage as the years pass by. All Moncuit wines also experience full malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks (fun fact: you won’t find one oak barrel at this winery!) before aging sur lattes for 24-36 months.

This 2012 is a racy, vibrant iteration of a 100% chardonnay Champagne from a woefully under-the-radar producer…who we are happy to keep our little secret. (Keep it between us?) The energetic and powerful bottle opens with a bright flash of lemon curd – like you’d find tucked into a pastry from a posh French bakery – with a sumptuous accompaniment of fresh-baked brioche and roasted hazelnuts. This creamy lemon and warm bread theme continues on the palate, laced with sexy touches of tangerine, almond shortbread, fresh mint leaves, and just-cracked white peppercorn. The opulence and seductive richness of this are balanced delicately with a proper mineral spine of chalk-laden acidity that lingers in the best way. A truly outrageous, impressive Champagne that is primed to drink now or in 10 years – so might as well secure some for the long haul. Onward, bubble lovers, onward!