Famille Mousse Champagne Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut Hommage a Cuisles NV
The Moussé family is based in the Marnes Valley, where Pinot Meunier is the most important grape. Meunier has long been considered the least prestigious of Champagne's three grapes. But the Moussé family has been growing grapes in their little village of Cuisles since 1629, and they knew not to turn their back on Meunier no matter what fickle market pressures suggested. Cuisses, you see, has a terroir that is unique in all of Champagne: a thick band of green clay, “Illite,” that lies under the varied superficial soil types. That “Illite” soil gives the Meunier an almost Chardonnay-like lift and the sort of refined texture that Meunier was traditionally reputed not to produce.
The village is so important to them that when the family decided to do a special bottling to celebrate the 100th anniversary of their founding as a standalone winery, they named it a Hommage to Cuisle. Every choice helps that Cuisles terroir to sing. The farming is organic. The wine is fermented and aged in steel, preserving every bit of that lift. The dosage is so low (at 1g/L) that they could call the wine "Brut Zero" if they wanted to. But like a pinch of salt on dish, this imperceptibly tiny amount of sugar draws out the wine's many, complex and riveting flavors.
Pinot Meunier is no longer looked down upon. Jérôme Prévost's Meuniers are among the most sought after wines in the world. But they are so rare they are practically novelties. Moussé, for now at least, is a proof that a grower that sticks to its guns can make perfectly terroir-transparent -- and almost shockingly beautiful -- Champagnes.
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Description
The Moussé family is based in the Marnes Valley, where Pinot Meunier is the most important grape. Meunier has long been considered the least prestigious of Champagne's three grapes. But the Moussé family has been growing grapes in their little village of Cuisles since 1629, and they knew not to turn their back on Meunier no matter what fickle market pressures suggested. Cuisses, you see, has a terroir that is unique in all of Champagne: a thick band of green clay, “Illite,” that lies under the varied superficial soil types. That “Illite” soil gives the Meunier an almost Chardonnay-like lift and the sort of refined texture that Meunier was traditionally reputed not to produce.
The village is so important to them that when the family decided to do a special bottling to celebrate the 100th anniversary of their founding as a standalone winery, they named it a Hommage to Cuisle. Every choice helps that Cuisles terroir to sing. The farming is organic. The wine is fermented and aged in steel, preserving every bit of that lift. The dosage is so low (at 1g/L) that they could call the wine "Brut Zero" if they wanted to. But like a pinch of salt on dish, this imperceptibly tiny amount of sugar draws out the wine's many, complex and riveting flavors.
Pinot Meunier is no longer looked down upon. Jérôme Prévost's Meuniers are among the most sought after wines in the world. But they are so rare they are practically novelties. Moussé, for now at least, is a proof that a grower that sticks to its guns can make perfectly terroir-transparent -- and almost shockingly beautiful -- Champagnes.
