In early June, our whole family set out on a little wine journey from Champagne through Burgundy to the Jura, visiting several winemakers on-site.
You simply learn best when you can see, hear, feel and taste where the wine comes from. Personal relationships with our business partners are also very important to us, and a visit to the estate is, of course, much nicer than just visiting a trade fair stand…
A highlight of the five-day trip was our visit to Champagne Moutard in Buxeuil, one of the smallest communes in the Côte des Bar in southern Champagne.
The surroundings alone are stunning: Between the vineyards, which stretch across the gently rolling terrain, lie small, sleepy villages that, with their partly very grand sandstone estates and blooming rose bushes, look picturesque and fastidiously maintained, yet never ostentatious or stuffy. We hardly meet a living soul, but instead see horses and cherry trees and, of course, one champagne house after another. Everything is green and blooming, and the air smells wonderful.
Upon arriving in Buxeuil, we are greeted by Alexandre Moutard, the eldest of the four Moutard children. At the same time, he is on the phone with his cousin, so that he can take care of the customer waiting in a driveway to personally pick up the ordered cases of champagne. That is how things work at the Moutards: business and private customers visit almost every day, either to stock up for personal use or to do business. And a family member is always there. Except on Sunday, because, as Alexandre repeatedly emphasizes, that belongs “to the good Lord”.
After we have settled in, we are picked up by Alexandre and his younger brother Benoît in the van, because now it is time to visit the vineyards. What we do not yet know: in the trunk of the van, a cooler full of champagne is ready. Because this will not be just a visit to the vineyards: We will taste every champagne that the Moutards produce from individual plots, in the respective plot. After all, that is when it tastes best!
Our first stop is the Champ Persin plot, which is planted with Chardonnay. Looking at the other slopes, Benoît explains that Chardonnay has darker leaves than Pinot Noir with its lighter leaves. This way, you can tell from afar what is growing where. The brothers explain what work needs to be done in the vineyard when, how it is with the harvest and the harvesters, and give anecdotes about the best… Meanwhile, the cooler is opened and the glasses are taken out.
The Buxeuil Boys, as we have now dubbed them among ourselves, learned their trade from the ground up and knew – unlike their younger siblings, who chose a different career path – from an early age that they wanted to take over the family business. Despite only being 25 and 27 years old, they radiate an expert, professional authority that probably comes naturally when you know your field inside out and live and breathe your profession.
Accordingly, they talk more than they lecture, and so we soon put away our notebooks and let ourselves fall into the wonderful atmosphere, enjoying it with all our senses. The sun, the view, the sparkling cool champagne in our glasses. Since we do not have to drive today, we enjoy it down to the last drop and, for once, do not spit it out. We have not tasted champagne this good in a long time!
The Champ Persin is a champagne made from 100% Chardonnay. Like all champagnes from the house, it has undergone 36 months of bottle aging and, with its refreshing citrus notes and long finish, is particularly enjoyable under the midday sun and as an aperitif.
After a short minute in the van, we have reached the next plot, and now it is the turn of the Cuvée Richardot made from 100% Pinot Noir. We already sell this very elegant champagne, and our team is unanimously enthusiastic about it. It is also often used in our champagne seminars. In addition to delicate roasted aromas, it shows fruity notes. On the palate, it is almost creamy, and the dosage is barely perceptible.
It pairs wonderfully with Chaource, but today it also tastes great without cheese and bread…
The next stop is the Vignes Beugneux plot, from which the eponymous Brut champagne, also made from 100% Pinot, comes. The plot is located in the commune of Polisy, the vines are 20 years old, and this champagne has also undergone 36 months of bottle aging. It is full-bodied and has beautiful brioche notes, a soft finish, and a long aftertaste. The Pinot Noir character is wonderfully showcased.
To finish, we taste the “Dame Nesle” Rosé Champagne, Brut, again made from 100% Pinot Noir from 25-year-old vines with 36 months of bottle aging. Berry-like and refreshingly mineral – a lovely new discovery for us.
And then it is “time” to go back to the village, to “Moutard-Ville”, as it could also be called, because the village of 130 souls is firmly in the hands of the Moutards: every second house bears the name Moutard and houses a cellar or shop. We also encounter an aunt and a cousin on the street. Later there will be even more, because in the evening a christening of one of the younger family members is being celebrated.
For lunch – we are having a barbecue in the courtyard – there are at least five more champagnes, including the Vigne Chienne, another champagne made from 100% Chardonnay, which we will order again next time, as well as the Chablis 1er Cru Fourchaume, because the Moutards also have vineyards in nearby Burgundy and also produce excellent red and white wines.
As the many fine drops slowly go to our heads, we retire after lunch, but soon meet up with Alexandre again, who now takes us through the impressive cellar facilities. We feel like time and space travelers, because firstly, the cellars house some very old bottles, and secondly, the entire village seems to be built underground: although we went down into the cellar behind the house, we come out somewhere completely different!
To finish, Alexandre shows us his newest facility, where he can pursue his true passion: he had repeatedly hinted that he had a weakness for spirits. And so we now visit the in-house distillery, where typical fruit brandies and Marc de Champagne are produced, but now also classics such as whisky, gin, and vodka, the latter interestingly made from grapes and not, as is usually the case with us, from grain or potatoes. Very exciting!
Currently, however, the facility is closed, so it is actually already certain for us: we are coming back!
Many thanks to Alexandre, Benoît, and the whole Moutard family for their hospitality. See you soon in Berlin or Buxeuil!
