Moutard Père Et Fils

The Moutard family's story in Buxeuil goes back to 1642, when their ancestors planted their first vines on the slopes around the village. Buxeuil is one of the smallest communes in the Côte des Bar, in the south of Champagne in the Aube département. The Union des Maisons de Champagne lists Moutard Père & Fils with a founding year of 1927.

Family and vineyards

Lucien Moutard married in 1958 into a family whose forebears had worked vines in Buxeuil since 1642. Between 1950 and 1980 he planted ten hectares of vines, and in 1952 he began making champagne. Today his children François, Agnès and Véronique run the estate, together with another generation. The family farms 23 hectares in Champagne. The soils are clay and limestone over Kimmeridgian rock, in the communes of Buxeuil and Polisy. Since 2004 the family has also owned an estate in Burgundy, in the area of Chablis and the Grand Auxerrois.

Forgotten grape varieties

The house is best known for its work with varieties that have almost disappeared. Alongside Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier, there are Petit Meslier, Arbane and Pinot Blanc in the vineyard. François Moutard began vinifying Arbane separately in 1992. According to Wikipedia, the house is the only producer of a vieilles vignes champagne made solely from Arbane.

The flagship is the Cuvée des 6 Cépages. It contains one sixth each of Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. Fermentation and malolactic fermentation take place in barrel, each variety in its own cask. The barrels are Burgundian, second and third fill, from Meursault, Chassagne and Puligny-Montrachet. Other bottlings include Petit Meslier, Les Perrières, Vignes Chiennes and Richardot. The family also wants to avoid adding sulphite as far as possible.

Visiting

The estate is at 6 Rue des Ponts in Buxeuil. According to Wikipedia, the visitor office of Champagne Moutard is among the best-known sights in the village. If you would like a visit with a tasting, it is best to ask the house directly in advance.