About the Brand
Points of Distinction
- Since 1851, 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
- 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.
Bouvet Ladubay sources its grapes from about 80 growers around Saumur and the Loire Valley area, all of which are grown using sustainable viticulture. The white sparkling wines are made predominantly from Chenin blanc blended with small amounts of Chardonnay while the rosés are Cabernet Franc. Bouvet uses various wine making techniques such as vintage cuvées, oak barrel aging, different dosages, etc. The wines from Bouvet Ladubay are known for their consistency, elegance and purity. 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.
A Visionary Founder
Founded in 1851 by Etienne Bouvet and his wife Célestine Ladubay, 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 and a great exporter in the early 20th century. 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 theatre.
The Monmousseau Family Ownership and Bouvet Ladubay Today
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. In 2015, together with his daughter Juliette Monmousseau, current CEO, Patrice Monmousseau founded the investment holding Ogmius Capital. Together with Ogmius Capitals’ partners the Monmousseau family bought back 100% of the shares of the company and are now fully independent.
A Commitment to Arts and Equestrian Sport
The art of wine, the art of living, art full stop: for Bouvet, nothing is more indispensable to the finesse of their wines than art and artists. Nothing is more essential than what is sometimes seen as superfluous and which finds its place here, where the harmony between the wine, the site and the mind is revealed. It would be through art, a shared, open and demanding art, that our Maison would develop its outreach, strengthen its reputation and create new links from here in Saumur in the Loire Valley, says Patrice Monmousseau.
The 19th century Theatre, still houses performances on a regular basis, the Bouvet Ladubay Contemporary Art Center is one of the first private art venues intended for the public in the west of France and in its 30 years of existence, has steadfastly presented works by nearly 100 artists who made and who continue to make the art of our time.
Bouvet Ladubay is also an historic partner of the equestrian sports which are inextricably linked to Saumur through the worldwide renowned French Horse and Riding Institute and created in 2022 the Hippomobile Collection of Saumur, a permanent exhibition of more than twenty horse-drawn carriages dating from the 19th century. Bouvet Ladubay also sponsors The National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, Virginia who is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and sharing the literature, art, and culture of equestrian, angling, and field sports.
Bouvet Ladubay Today
In 2015, together with his daughter Juliette Monmousseau, current CEO, Patrice Monmousseau founded the investment holding Ogmius Capital. Together with Ogmius Capitals’ partners the Monmousseau family bought back 100% of the shares of the company and are now fully independent.
