Bouvet-Ladubay, 2018 Update
Bouvet-Ladubay is undoubtedly one of the leading sparkling wine houses of Saumur, and having been founded in 1851, by Etienne Bouvet, it is also one of the region’s oldest names. Being in early, at the start of Saumur’s sparkling wine boom, brought Etienne unforeseen success, and untold wealth. Some of the grandest buildings dotted around the back streets of Saumur, as well as Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent, the riverside settlement that is home to a number of the appellation’s sparkling wine houses, owe their existence to Etienne Bouvet’s prosperity and taste for philanthropy.
Having said that, some of the locals originally wondered if there were some different reason for the very healthy state of Etienne’s bank balance. Rumours spread that Etienne Bouvet, in exploring his cellars, once part of the local abbey, had discovered treasure secreted there by monks before they fled persecution at the time of the Revolution. So strong were these rumours that more than a handful of hopefuls took to digging the land around the Bouvet-Ladubay cellars in the hope of discovering more of the treasure. Of course none was found, and the prospectors went home empty handed. They had overlooked the real origins of Etienne’s wealth; the good fortune to be the right man in the right place at the right time.
In 1932, many years after Etienne’s death the Bouvet-Ladubay business was auctioned off, and it was acquired by Justin Monmousseau. It remained with this family until 1974, when it was purchased by the Taittinger family, and in 2006 it was acquired by United Breweries. Throughout this time the Monmousseau family remained in place, running the business on behalf of the proprietors. First it was Justin’s son Jean Monmousseau, than the next generation Patrice, and in very recent times the fourth generation Juliette Monmousseau also joined the team.
