Pierre-Moncuit

Pierre-Moncuit is the Cote des Blancs' open secret: a four-generation family estate in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, the village most serious Blanc de Blancs collectors consider Chardonnay's holy ground, that most casual Champagne drinkers have simply never heard of.

Alex Moncuit bought his first vines here in 1889; his son Pierre began estate-bottling in the early 1950s. Since 1977 the estate has been run by siblings Nicole and Yves Moncuit, with Nicole's daughter Valerie now carrying a fourth generation forward.

Critics haven't missed it, though — Vinous scored a Moncuit vintage 94 points while it was still selling for under 40 euros a bottle, the kind of price-to-quality gap that barely exists anymore in Champagne.