Bouvet-Ladubay Estate
Over the first decade of Patrice Monmousseau’s presidency, production nearly quadrupled, and Bouvet-Ladubay remains one of the largest single purchasers of grapes within the Saumur appellation.
Patrice Monmousseau, Chairman
Bouvet-Ladubay
About the Brand
from: France
- Since 1850, Bouvet-Ladubay, in the Loire Valley, has been one of France’s greatest producers of méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine.
- Currently run by the fourth generation of the Monmousseau family
- Associated with numerous prominent events, including the Paris–Dakar race and the Le Mans 24-hour race
- Poured for the glitterati at the Cannes Film Festival for the past 15 years
- Produces close to 6 million bottles of wine, a 20-fold increase since Patrice Monmousseau took command
- "Full Metal" is a 14,000-square-meter production facility outfitted with the most up-to-date sparkling winemaking technology.
Since 1851, Bouvet-Ladubay has been one of France’s greatest producers of méthode traditionnelle sparkling wine, using the Loire Valley’s indigenous Chenin Blanc blended with small amounts of Chardonnay, and using Cabernet Franc for rosé. In 1933, the Monmousseau family purchased the property and today continues to manage this legendary French estate. For Bouvet-Ladubay, wine is a living art that must be practiced with wisdom, uniting tradition, experience and the most finely tuned technology in the creation of refined, handcrafted wines of impeccable quality and consistency.
Etienne Bouvet, Founder
A Visionary Founder
Founded in 1851 by Etienne Bouvet, Bouvet-Ladubay is the second oldest sparkling wine–producing house in Saumur. By 1890, it had become France's largest producer of méthode traditionnelle wines. Very few of Etienne Bouvet's contemporaries would unite so much talent and energy dedicated to the refinement and prestige of their industry. Bouvet erected immense buildings to house his production; he installed an electric plant to illuminate his underground cellars and his mansions and châteaux; and he built not only lodging for his workers, but also a theater.
Bouvet-Ladubay Estate by Night
The Monmousseau Family Ownership
The untimely, successive deaths of three of the Bouvet heirs in the early 1900s left Bouvet-Ladubay without a guiding hand, and in 1933 the increasingly troubled firm was purchased by Justin Monmousseau and merged with his own still wine–producing firm. In 1971, the third generation of the Monmousseau family, Patrice Monmousseau, took over direction of the company. The following year, Kobrand Corporation was named exclusive importer for Bouvet-Ladubay in the United States, and in 1974 the firm was taken under the wing of the Taittinger group as a subsidiary.
Under Patrice Monmousseau's dynamic guidance, Bouvet-Ladubay experienced spectacular growth. Over the first decade of his presidency, production nearly quadrupled, and Bouvet-Ladubay today remains one of the largest single purchasers of grapes within the Saumur appellation.
A Commitment to Sport and the Arts
Since the early 1980s, Bouvet-Ladubay has tied the promotion of its image to equestrian and motor sports of the highest level, including the 24 Heures du Mans and the Paris–Dakar race. The firm's development of public relations as an underpinning of its operations has led to the creation of a center for contemporary art: Bouvet-Ladubay Art Concept, conceived to promote the image of the marque in an environment in which the art of wine, the art of living, and the contemporary arts are united. The theater built by Etienne Bouvet at the end of the last century and renovated in 1992 provides a setting in which the Center stages its own program of concerts, conferences and filmed presentations.
Bouvet-Ladubay Today
In July 2006, Bouvet was acquired by Dr. Vijay Mallya of the world’s largest group of alcoholic beverages, the UB Group, based in India. Like Claude Taittinger in prior years, Mallya wanted Bouvet-Ladubay to remain a family concern. In 2008, with Mallya’s backing, Patrice Monmousseau established Bouvet-Ladubay Full Metal, a 14,000-square-meter production facility outfitted with the most up-to-date sparkling winemaking technology that will ensure that the quality and reputation of Bouvet continues through the 21st century.
