2015 Chateau Moncontour Cuvee Predilection Vouvray Methode Traditionelle AOC 750 ml

Sparkling Darling of Paris’ Dining Scene

It’s no surprise that sparkling Vouvray remains a bit of a mystery to American drinkers: Only 10 percent of the wine ever leaves French shores. Instead, most of it remains in the country to be consumed by drinkers in the Loire Valley and throughout Paris. Made by the painstaking méthode traditionelle, this 2015 Château Moncontour Cuvée Prédilection Vouvray Méthode Traditionelle gets its fine and persistent mousse by going through the same in-bottle fermentation as Champagne. Ripe fruit, telltale notes of honey, crisp acidity, and good length. Drink it as an aperitif or an accompaniment to a meal, and you’ll see why sparkling Vouvray is such an immensely popular wine in the bistros of Paris—and you’ll be glad we managed to claim this allocation for Wine Access clients. This batch, which landed direct from the winery after being disgorged to order has rested on the lees since December 2015. Highly recommended by the case.  

When we returned from a two-week trip to France, having dined at the Michelin-starred restaurant at the Relais & Châteaux Les Hautes Roches, perfectly situated on the Loire River near Vouvray, the return came with an exclusive twist. The highlight of the meal was right at the beginning, foie gras of duck with fig chutney and this very 2015 Château Moncontour Cuvée Prédilection Vouvray Méthode Traditionelle. Lively aromas of ripe apples and a touch of honey, which displays a slightly different style than the Champagnes on offer by the glass at the restaurant.

It was Richard Hemming MW who turned our attention to Château Moncontour in 2014. On Jancis Robinson MW’s website, Hemming wrote of his recent trip to the Loire and claimed that busy trips are “worthwhile when you find wines that really hit the spot. And on that Friday morning in the Loire earlier this month, they were the Vouvrays of Château Moncontour.”

Château Moncontour is an illustrious Loire Valley château, and one of the oldest in the region: The estate dates back to the fourth century, the cliffside caves were carved in the 10th, and the château itself was built in the 15th century. The name “Cuvée Prédilection” comes from the revered French writer Honoré de Balzac, who purportedly coveted the gorgeous Loire property and referred to it as his “prédilection.” 2015 was an excellent vintage, and “Prédilection” delivers everything one would expect from a classic château in a top year.