Pierre Moncuit Vieille Vigne Cuvee Nicole Extra Brut 2006
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Produced only in the very top vintages, the Nicole Moncuit Vieille Vigne is made from over 100 year-old vines in the notably distinctive lieu-dit Les Chetillons. It features the best elements of the Moncuit house style with an intensity and weight that sets it apart in the lineup. It is rich, deeply expressive, and exhibits the inherent tension that we expect from this dynamic Mesnil terroir.
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The 2006 Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Cuvée Nicole VV emerges from old vines in Les Chétillons, one of the most renowned lieu-dits in Mesnil. More of a wine than a Champagne, the VV possesses notable textural richness and gravitas, both of which build with a bit of time in the glass. This is a terrific choice for readers who enjoy Champagnes with the complexity that develops in bottle over time. Disgorged: March, 2021.
Representing the topmost expression of a Champagne house, a vintage Champagne is one made from the produce of a single, superior harvest year. Vintage Champagnes account for a mere 5% of total Champagne production and are produced about three times in a decade. Champagne is typically made as a blend of multiple years in order to preserve the house style; these will have non-vintage, or simply, NV on the label. The term, "vintage," as it applies to all wine, simply means a single harvest year.
Associated with luxury, celebration, and romance, the region, Champagne, is home to the world’s most prized sparkling wine. In order to bear the label, ‘Champagne’, a sparkling wine must originate from this northeastern region of France—called Champagne—and adhere to strict quality standards. Made up of the three towns Reims, Épernay, and Aÿ, it was here that the traditional method of sparkling wine production was both invented and perfected, birthing a winemaking technique as well as a flavor profile that is now emulated worldwide.
Well-drained, limestone and chalky soil defines much of the region, which lend a mineral component to its wines. Champagne’s cold, continental climate promotes ample acidity in its grapes but weather differences from year to year can create significant variation between vintages. While vintage Champagnes are produced in exceptional years, non-vintage cuvées are produced annually from a blend of several years in order to produce Champagnes that maintain a consistent house style.
With nearly negligible exceptions, . These can be blended together or bottled as individual varietal Champagnes, depending on the final style of wine desired. Chardonnay, the only white variety, contributes freshness, elegance, lively acidity and notes of citrus, orchard fruit and white flowers. Pinot Noir and its relative Pinot Meunier, provide the backbone to many blends, adding structure, body and supple red fruit flavors. Wines with a large proportion of Pinot Meunier will be ready to drink earlier, while Pinot Noir contributes to longevity. Whether it is white or rosé, most Champagne is made from a blend of red and white grapes—and uniquely, rosé is often produce by blending together red and white wine. A Champagne made exclusively from Chardonnay will be labeled as ‘blanc de blancs,’ while ones comprised of only red grapes are called ‘blanc de noirs.’