Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Tour and Tasting at Maison Bouvet-Ladubay in Saumur, with Owner Juliette Monmousseau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours













2024 Loire by ombiasy Wine Tours, led by Annette Schiller, took place from Sunday, June 9 to Thursday June 20, 2024. The tour started in Nantes and ended in Sancerre.
 
In Saumur, we visited Maison Bouvet-Ladubay, one of France’s leading Crémant de Loire producers.
 
We were received by the owner, Juliette Monmousseau and then enjoyed a tour and a tasting. 

Annette had established contact with Juliette at a winemaker dinner at the Michelin-starred Imperfecto by Enrique Limardo in Washington DC in 2023. 

See: Michelin Star Food and Crémant de Loire Wines: Winemaker Dinner with Owner Juliette Monmousseau of Bouvet-Ladubay, a Leading Crémant de Loire Producer, and Sommelier Raquel Ortega Torres at Imperfecto by Enrique Limardo, Washington DC, USA

Kobrand Wine and Spirits is the US importer of Bouvet-Ladubay.

Maison Bouvet-Ladubay in Saumur

Maison Bouvet-Ladubay is one of France’s greatest producers of méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine. It is also one of the oldest sparkling wine producers in the Loire valley with a history of more than 170 years. 

In 1851 Etienne Bouvet and his wife, Celestine Ladubay purchased 8 km of underground tunnels in Saumur with the intention of turning them into cellars. By the 1870s, Etienne was exporting his wines to England, became an official supplier to the House of Lords, and had built a majestic château, a theater, and his own power plant to serve the estate. 

At the turn of the 19 th / 20 th century Bouvet Ladubay was one of the largest sparkling wine producers in the world with an annual production of 7 mio. bottles. 

The couple did not have any direct heirs and after their death the Monmousseau family acquired the estate. Today it is Juliette Monmousseau who runs the business. 

French wine law dictates that “Crémant” must be produced in the traditional method and that the bottles need to age a minimum of 9 months on the lees before disgorgement. Very often the Crémant spend many more months on the lees to enhance quality.

Lay and Wheeler: Bouvet-Ladubay 

Bouvet Ladubay is one of the oldest sparkling wine producers in the Loire valley, boasting over 170 years of history. Their Saumur base was established by Etienne Bouvet and his wife, Celestine Ladubay in 1851 when they purchased 8 km of underground tunnels with the intention of turning them into cellars. By the 1870s, Etienne was exporting his wines to England, became an official supplier to the House of Lords, and had built both a fine château and his own power plant to serve the domaine. cc

Kobrandt

In the heart of the Loire Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Bouvet Ladubay’s cellars lie in a tuffeau cave, a white limestone characteristic of the region, which is visited by some 40,000 tourists every year.
 
One of the remarkable characteristics of the Saumur region is its tuffeau caves, carved into the chalk hillsides to quarry this local limestone. Tuffeau was used to build the the renowned castles, abbeys, monuments, and cities of the Loire Valley. Wines have been aged in these caves since the end of the 19th century when the extraction of tuffeau drew to an end.

Bouvet Ladubay’s own cellars lie in such a cave, excavated 1,000 years ago by the Saint Florent monks, who quarried the chalk stone to build their abbey, La Belle d’Anjou, consecrated in 1040 and at its greatest influence in the 13th century. It was said that the monks of the abbey buried an immense treasure in the caves during the French Revolution. In 2002, Patrice Monmousseau commissioned a sculptor, Philippe Cormand, to create the piece of art the “Underground Cathedral”. He rendered 35 architectural fragments from castles, churches and cathedrals sculpted by stonemasons over the centuries, adding to the natural beauty of the 5-mile-long cellars. Light and sound now complement this tribute to 10 centuries of builders in the Loire Valley.

Michelin Star Food and Crémant de Loire Wines: Winemaker Dinner with Owner Juliette Monmousseau of Bouvet-Ladubay, a Leading Crémant de Loire Producer, and Sommelier Raquel Ortega Torres at Imperfecto by Enrique Limardo, Washington DC, USA 
 
I was the only man at the "Women Wines on Wednesday"- Dinner at Restaurant Imperfecto by Enrique Limardo in Washington DC with Owner Juliette Monmousseau of Bouvet-Ladubay, a leading Crémant de Loire producer. Imperfecto by Enrique Limardo Sommelier Raquel Ortega Torres was our host. She was supported by Addie Lewis Mattingly of Kobrand Wine and Spirits, the importer of Bouvet-Ladubay. 

We were 15 women and 1 man. The dinner came to US$ 665 including tax and tip for Annette and me.








 
Arriving at Maison Bouvet-Ladubay in Saumur



 Owner Juliette Monmousseau






Tour









Tasting










Saumur








Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours: Already Released and Forthcoming Postings
 
Announcement: Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours (Sunday, June 09 - Thursday June 20, 2024)
 
Stopover in Frankfurt: 3 Nights at Zur Mainlust Desche Otto in Frankfurt/ Schwanheim - From Washington DC (USA) to Nantes (France) for 2024 Loire by ombiasy WineTours, led by Annette Schiller
 
Pitstop at Le Petit Sommelier, Standard (10.5/ 20 Gault&Millau) Food and Worldclass Wine List, Just Opposite of Gare Monteparnasse in Paris - From Washington DC (USA) to Nantes (France) for 2024 Loire by ombiasy WineTours, led by Annette Schiller    

Dinner at L'Océanide (Bib Gourmand Michelin) in Nantes - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at L'Instinct Gourmand in Nantes, with Owner/ Chef Sylvain le Bras - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided Tour of Old Town Nantes - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at Iconic Brasserie La Cigale in Nantes - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour, Tasting and Light Lunch at Vignobles Günther Chéreau, Château du Coing, in Saint Fiacre-sur-Maine, with Owner Véronique Günther-Chéreau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Two Domaines under one Roof: Visit at Domaine Gadais Père et Fils and Domaine de la Combe/ Pierre-Henri Gadais in Saint Fiacre-sur-Maine, Muscadet Sévre et Maine, Pays Nantais, with Owner/ Winemaker Christoph Gadais - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at Restaurant Les Petits Près of Chef Samuel Albert (Top Chef France 2019) in Angers - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Château d’Épiré, AOP Savennières, Anjou, with Owner/ Winemaker Paul Bizard - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour, Barrel Tasting and Salon Tasting at Château des Vaults, Domaine du Closel in Savennière, Anjou, with Owner/ winemaker Evelyne de Pontbriand - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

 
Guided Visit of Château Angers and the Apocalypse Tapestry (UNESCO) - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours
 

Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domäne Vincendeau in Rochefort-sur-Loire, Anjou, with Owner/ Winemaker Liv Vincendeau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Wine Tasting with a Light Lunch at Domaine de la Soucherie in Beaulieu-sur-Layon, Anjou - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at Restaurant L’Essentiel, Michelin-listed and Nestled at the Foot of Saumur’s Fairy-tale Castle - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided Visit at the UNESCO-classified L’ Abbey Royale de Fontevraud in Fontevraud - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch in the Courtyard of Saumur's Fairy-tale Castle Château de Saumur - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting, Cellar Tour and Vineyard Tour at Domaine des Roches Neuves in Varrains, Anjou, with Next Generation Owner/ Winemaker Louis Germain and Agathe Germain - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Tour and Tasting at Maison Bouvet-Ladubay in Saumur, with Owner Juliette Monmousseau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting at Cave M. Plouzeau in Chinon, Touraine, with Owner/ Winemaker Marc Plouzeau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Tasting at Domaine de la Haut Olive in Chinon, Touraine - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at Le Bistrot du Marché in Chinon - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine François Gazin, Le Petit Chambord, in Cheverney, Touraine, with François Gazin - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner at Restaurant Brut Maison de Cuisine in Blois, with Owner/ Chef Adrien Delafoy and Owner/ Chef Thomas Gaudard - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Tour by Car and Tasting at Domaine Brazilier in Thoré-la-Rochette, CôteauxVendômois, Touraine, with Owner/ Winemaker Benoît Braziliery - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at Le Moulin du Loir in Vendôme - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Visit of Château Chambord - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided Tour of Château Royal de Blois - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Sunday Lunch at Restaurant La Croix Blanche (Bib Gourmand Michelin), with Owner/ Chef Jean-François Beauduin - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided Visit of Château du Clos Lucé and the Leonardo-da-Vinci Park in Amboise - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner, Overnight-stay and Breakfast at Château de Pray in Amboise - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours.

Visit at Denis Meunier in Vernou-sur-Brenne, Touraine - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Visit at Domaine des Aubuisières, Bernard Fouquet, in Vouvray, Touraine - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Guided Visit of Château Chenonceau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Dinner and Overnight-stay at Auberge du Bon Laboureur in Chenonceau - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Vineyard Walk, Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Pellé in Morogues, Menetou-Salon, with the Export Manager Pauline Guillot - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Lunch at Restaurant Fluteau in Morogues - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Extensive Tasting at at Domaine Alphons Mellot in Sancerre, with Alphons Mellot - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine de Vrillères, SCEA in Sury-en-Vaux, Sancerre, with Kevin Lauverjat - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour and Tasting at Domaine Tinel-Blondelet in Pouilly-sur-Loire, with Marlène and Annick Tinel - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours 

Lunch at Restaurant/ Affineur Romain Dubois in Chavignol, with Gilles Dubois - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Cellar Tour, Vineyard Tour and Tasting at Domaine Henri Bourgeois in Chavignol - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Wine-pairing Dinner at Le Clos du Maréchal with the Wines of Vignobles Berthier, with the Owner/ Winemaker Clément Berthier and the Chef/ Owner Nathanael Fromant - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

Last Meal of the Tour: At La Coupole in Paris - Loire Valley 2024 by ombiasy WineTours

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