Pierre Moncuit Hugues de Coulmet

Historically, women have played a fundamental role in the champagne world. Names like Louise Pommery (who first produced the brut), Widow Cliquot (who turned a failing business into an empire) and Suzanne Gosset Paillard (who ran the winery while her husband was fighting in the First World War), will always have a place in the history of champagne. And now there are two more names on this list: Nicole Moncuit (who ran Pierre Moncuit for 20 years) and her daughter Valérie Charpentier (who currently runs it).

Both have spent time running this winery, which is located in the AOC Champagne, and they produce Pierre Moncuit Hugues de Coulmet  in the Côte de Sézanne.

This is where the family manages 20 hectares of vineyards along with another 5 hectares in Sézanne. Both vineyards only grow Chardonnay grapes, with the vines planted on chalky soils. The grapes are organically cultivated and harvested by hand.

The production of Pierre Moncuit Hugues de Coulmet is based on the traditional method, where a second fermentation takes place in the bottle, and then the wine is aged for 3 years (much longer than the 12 months required by the AOC Champagne). “There is a lot of chalk in our terroir, which produces very compact wines with mineral notes. In our opinion, these wines need at least three years to develop, otherwise they are too lively,” explains Valérie Charpentier in an interview for Le Monde.

Pierre Moncuit Hugues de Coulmet is a champagne with many good reviews and recommendations. The price tag also makes it very tempting. All in all, the perfect opportunity to enjoy a good French champagne.