Lucien Le Moine, Burgundy (Winemaking, 10 Exquisite Wines)

Lucien Le Moine is unique — two people, working by hand, producing a tiny amount of dazzling wine from some of the most revered vineyards in Burgundy. 

And it’s only taken the estate two decades to engrave its mark in the wine world! 

Your curiosity piqued? 

In this article, we’ll find out how Lucien Le Moine crafts its wines and the story behind the winery’s founding. 

We’ll also look at  10 precious Lucien Le Moine wines to try in 2022 and the investment potential of Lucien Le Moine wines.

Lucien Le Moine And Its Dazzling Wines

Lucien Le Moine is a micro-négociant house based in Côte de Beaune. It is run by the husband and wife team - Mounir and Rotem Saouma. 

The winery was established in 1999, and started handcrafting Pinot Noir red wine and Chardonnay whites from valuable Premier Cru and Grands Crus like Le Montrachet and Corton Charlemagne. 

Its portfolio also includes several Village-level and generic Bourgogne wines.

Now, winemaking at Lucien Le Moine is a little different. Let’s have a look.

How Are Lucien Le Moine Wines Crafted?

Lucien Le Moine focuses on the elevage period of winemaking. 

Wines typically reach them from growers after fermentation. They reevaluate the selection of vineyards annually, and limited cellar space means there may be only a single barrel of wine from some vineyards. 

They collaborate with growers who are meticulous with their vines, taste the wines early (immediately after press), either vinify (the whites) or guide the vinification process (for the reds.) 

Lucien le Moine age their wines entirely on their lees, and malolactic fermentation is delayed to produce a softer wine with fewer sulfites. 

Battonage (stirring) is done to maximize contact with the lees, depending on the vintage.

Lucien Le Moine works closely with their barrel supplier, Stéphane Chassin, to ensure the right barrel matches the style of a given wine. They use 100% new oak barrels from the fine-grained wood of the Jupilles forest. 

Bottling is done directly from the barrel without blending, fining, or filtering.

Ready to have a look at these wines?

10 Exquisite Lucien Le Moine Wines To Relish In 2022

Here’s a selection of beautiful, expressive Lucien Le Moine vintages:

• 2010 Lucien Le Moine Les Gaudichots, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, France
• 2016 Lucien Le Moine Richebourg Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France
• 2014 Lucien Le Moine Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France
• 2016 Lucien Le Moine Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France
• 2018 Lucien Le Moine Les Amoureuses, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, France 
• 2016 Lucien Le Moine Chambertin Clos de Beze Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France 
• 2015 Lucien Le Moine Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France
• 2017 Lucien Le Moine Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France
• 2015 Lucien Le Moine Les Cazetiers, Gevrey Chambertin Premier Cru, France
• 2018 Lucien Le Moine Les Bouchères, Meursault Premier Cru, France

1. 2010 Lucien Le Moine Les Gaudichots, Vosne-Romanee Premier Cru, France ($4,380)

This fascinating wine is a beguiling, sensual expression of the Pinot Noir grape. Layers of fruit emerge with time in the glass, infused with cool, mineral energy. 

2. 2016 Lucien Le Moine Richebourg Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France ($1,040)

The 2016 Richebourg opens with black cherry, dark berries, tobacco, and violet notes. Deep flavors of black fruit and licorice lead to an outstandingly lengthy finish.

3. 2014 Lucien Le Moine Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France ($820)

This bottling of the Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru offers vibrant lemon, crushed rock, and lavender sea salt aromas. Juicy and intense, it boasts concentrated pear, citrus peel, and stone flavors.

4. 2016 Lucien Le Moine Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France ($610)

The 2016 vintage is a powerful wine with sweet pear oil and clove flavors, complemented by a smoky minerality and lemon acidity.

5. 2018 Lucien Le Moine Les Amoureuses, Chambolle-Musigny Premier Cru, France ($480)

This red wine has an assortment of red currant, violet, and plum aromas mingle with an abundance of spice nuances. Mineral-inflected flavors and fine-grained tannins drive to an intense, saline finish.

6. 2016 Lucien Le Moine Chambertin Clos de Beze Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France ($440)

This intense, refined wine opens with ripe black cherry and violet aromas. Seamless and sophisticated, it features a strong limestone character and a perfectly integrated acidity. 

7. 2015 Lucien Le Moine Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Cote de Nuits, France ($350)

This bottling of Clos de la Roche is ripe with aromas of raspberry, smoke, and earth. A tightly wound, powerful palate features spicy and saline flavors in a distinctly rocky style.

8. 2017 Lucien Le Moine Corton Charlemagne Grand Cru, Cote de Beaune, France ($290)

This 2017 vintage opens with attention-grabbing lemon curd, wood smoke, pine forest, and stone aromas. The intense palate features a core of sweet fruit and bracing acidity. Wine Spectator gave this white Burgundy 96 points.

9. 2015 Lucien Le Moine Les Cazetiers, Gevrey Chambertin Premier Cru, France ($200)

The scent of red cherry, raspberry, and rose petals opens on this silky red wine. There is a purity of juicy red fruit and floral flavors on the palate, with an outstanding, mouth-coating finish. 

10. 2018 Lucien Le Moine Les Bouchères, Meursault Premier Cru, France ($130)

This 2018 Les Bouchères offers aromas of white flowers, citrus zest, a hint of wood toast, tinged with a whiff of cider. Lovely mineral flavors build to a dry, textured finish.

Next, let’s see if Lucien Le Moine wines are investment-worthy.

Should You Invest In Lucien Le Moine Wines?

Vinovest offers an easy way to invest in fine wine. This online AI-based platform allows you to buy, sell, and store rare wines from any part of the world, whether it’s a chill New ZealandSauvignon Blanc or fruity Cabernet Sauvignon from South Australia. 

Lucien Le Moine wines are valuable, limited in quantity, and therefore highly sought-after. 

Production never exceeds 100 barrels (about 30,000 bottles) annually as Mounir Saouma feels that the wines would lose his personal touch.

To understand how well these wines do on the market, here are some examples:

• The 2010 Lucien Le Moine Montrachet Grand Cru appreciated from $797 in February 2020 to $1525 in January 2022. That’s a 91% increase! 

• During the same period, the 2005 Lucien Le Moine Romanée-Saint-Vivant Grand Cru did even better - it doubled in value from $794 to $1,626.

Lucien Le Moine wines also pack a punch at auctions:

• Six bottles of 2008 Lucien Le Moine Montrachet Grand Cru were sold for $4170 ($695 per bottle) at a Sotheby’s auction in 2021. 

• 12 bottles of mixed vintage (2003 and 2005) Lucien Le Moine Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru were auctioned off at Christie’s for $4,130 in 2014.

Now, how did Lucien Le Moine come to be?

The Origins Of Lucien Le Moine

In the 1980s, Mounir Saouma visited a Trappist monastery in the Middle East, where he learned how to make wine for the first time. He then went on to study oenology and viticulture in Montpellier. 

Mounir’s wife, Rotem Brakin, studied agriculture in Dijon, eventually orienting her studies towards wine.

Mounir developed a fascination for traditional methods of viticulture, vinification, and aging, from working in the monastery vineyards to Burgundy and other wine regions.

So, in 1999, he and Rotem established Lucien Le Moine, focusing on the slow elevage reminiscent of Burgundy production of earlier eras. 

The winery’s name comes from the Lebanese “Mounir,” meaning light — equivalent to the French “Lucien.” And “Le Moine” means “The Monk,” referencing Mounir’s early wine experience at the Trappist monastery.

Lucien Le Moine: An Extraordinary Sip of Burgundy!

Lucien Le Moine wines embody the extraordinarily complex expression and power of finely crafted red and white Burgundy. 

For those who want the best, a bottle or two of Lucien Le Moine surely deserves a spot in your French Wine collection. 

To get hold of these limited wines, Vinovest is the perfect solution to a hassle-free buying experience. 

And if you require delivery, Vinovest will ensure your fine wine reaches your doorstep in perfect condition, whether you’re in South Africa or anywhere in the United Kingdom!