The Moncuit family has farmed vines in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger since 1889, when Alex Moncuit first began working the chalky slopes of the Côte des Blancs. His grandson Robert created the estate's first cuvée in 1928, making the family one of the earliest grower-producers in a region long dominated by the big houses. Robert's daughter Françoise took over in 1987, and since 2000 the estate has been led by her son, Pierre Amillet, alongside his wife Maud. Farming across the family's 8 hectares in Le Mesnil is done without pesticides or herbicides, with all fruit hand harvested and hand sorted, and each parcel vinified separately to preserve its individual character.

Les Chétillons is one of the most celebrated climats in all of Mesnil, a 40 hectare vineyard whose chalk is about as pure as it gets in Champagne. The Moncuit family holds five separate parcels here totaling two hectares, with some vines dating back to 1956. The wine is vinified in a combination of stainless steel and neutral oak and goes through full malolactic fermentation, a process that lets the site's natural tension and salinity shine through while adding a touch of vinous depth. It's a wine of real precision, built on decades-old vines that have pushed deep into the chalk to find water and character.

Why You'll Love It

• A Blanc de Blancs of exceptional precision and tension, with a saline, almost oceanic quality that's become the calling card of this climat.
• The nose shows lemon zest, green apple, toasted brioche and hazelnut, all wrapped around a core of pure chalk.
• On the palate, bright citrus and crushed stone lead into a layer of lemon curd richness, balanced by a chalky, mineral-driven backbone.
• The finish is long, saline and precise, with the kind of mineral drive that makes Mesnil-sur-Oger famous.
• A serious, cellar-worthy Champagne that rewards patience but is already compelling to drink now.

How To Serve It

• Serve chilled, between 45 and 48°F, to let the wine's tension and precision show clearly.
• No decanting is necessary, though a few extra minutes in the glass will only add complexity.
• An all-purpose stem lets both the aromatics and the fine mousse come through.
• Pair with chilled oysters on the half shell and a bright yuzu mignonette, or any dish that leans into the wine's own briny minerality.