Life's News

The New Year has heralded with a very busy season at Watermen’s Hall for Life’s Kitchen Ltd, with a very busy first quarter of events already booked in. We at Life’s Kitchen are delighted with the amount of repeat and referral business that is coming into Watermen’s Hall from clients who enjoyed a seamless experience from the partnership between Life’s Kitchen and the Hall.

Have a look at some of the comments from clients in 2005:

“Thank you for the perfect luncheon you arrange for our roadshow last week…..”
Maria Rizzetto, Morgan Stanley

“The meetings all went well and the dinner was great. Please pass on my thanks to the team at Life’s Kitchen…..”
Justine, Barn End Events

World Cup 2006-England’s first World Cup game is June 10th 2006. Look no further than Watermen’s Hall for a discerning private venue in which to view the match, with a variety of catering formats on offer to maximise flexibility. Telephone Jonny Townsend on 0207 283 2373 to arrange a show-round and discuss your event.

Breakfast Network Club-Any clients interested in participating in a monthly breakfast
network club, either with their own clients or as part of our internal network. We can also arrange motivational speakers for clients wishing to host their own events.

At Life’s Kitchen Ltd we always try and work with suppliers that share our passion for delivering outstanding product and service.

We are proud to stock and serve the champagnes of Francois Moutard, whose family has been producing champagne in Buxeuil for over four centuries. The Moutard story is a fascinating one, and Francois combines a deep respect for the traditions of his craft with a high level of innovation in maximising the range and quality of his products.

In 1642, the ancestors of Agnès, Véronique and Francois Moutard planted the first vines on the slopes of Buxeuil, a commune in the Aube dominating the valley of the Seine, 40 kms from Troyes.

Since then, every generation of the Moutard family has been born wine growers! In the 19th century, Hyacinthe Diligent, already owned 2 hectares producing 9 different grape varieties; Pinot Noir and Blanc, Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, Arbane, Petite Meslier, Gamay, Chasselas, Sauvignon Blanc, Troyen and Morillon, the last two of which have since disappeared.

In her dowry on her marriage with Lucien Moutard, Josette Diligent brought 2.5 hectares inherited from her father Francois.

Heir to this union, Lucien Moutard has added to the value of the family wealth, augmenting some additional parcels of land from 1960 to 1980. In turn, he transferred the property to his 3 children and the Domaine entirely restructured by his heirs now covered 11 hectare. In 1980 and then in 1990, Agnès, Véronique and Francois added in their turn an additional 10 hectare.

The First Bottles of Champagne
In 1927, Francois Diligent produced his first Champagne. Until then, the Moutard and Diligent families made wine for the great houses. The small production was not sufficient to satisfy his commercial ambition and, in 1941, he formed a company of negociants whose activity continued until 1975. So as not to lose the rights afforded to Champagne negociants, his son-in-law Lucien kept the business ticking over for 7 years but it was his grand-son, Francois, who re-launched the business in 1982 with the purchase of 30 hl of “Vin Clair”. From 1983 he started to purchase grapes, the quantity of which have grown consistently.

The Last Grandfather Distiller
In the 19th century, all the Champagne producers of the Côtes des Bar owned a still and distilled their lees. The art of producing Eaux-de-Vie was a passion of Lucien Moutard. Today, such distilleries are rare in Champagne and Moutard-Diligent remains one of the last houses to produce Marcs de Champagne, Eaux-de-Vie de Poire, Prunelle and Framboise in the tradition of the travelling stills.

Arbane - an Old Grape which has almost Disappeared in the Champagne Vineyards
An old grape from the region of the Bar sur Aube, the Arbane is difficult to cultivate and occupies a place one no longer finds in the Champagne area. Sensitive to dust mites, with a long vegetative cycle, it flowers early and ripens late – it has discouraged many a grape grower. What is more, one year in three, it proves difficult to give ripe fruits.

Francois Moutard is determined to preserve this regional grape as he appreciates the delicacy of its bubbles. He has produced a cuvée speciale, Champagne Arbane Vieilles Vignes.

His father Lucien planted 10 ares in 1952. In his turn, he has planted 16 ares in 1998.

The Arbane, which occupied 6% of the vineyard area before phylloxera, today has virtually disappeared. In its time, it was known under the names of Arbane, Arbane Blanche or Albane. Some grapes are still found in the vineyards of Riceys and Tonnerois under the names of Arbenne, Arbenne Blanc and Crene.

The Arbane Vine Planted by Lucien Moutard in 1952
Today, 50 years on, this east facing vineyard planted in a argilo-calcaire soil on a base of Kimmeridgien chalk, is particularly favoured by the Moutard family and appreciated for the fine Champagne that it produces.

One attributes to the Arbane, a reputation of “small producer” (4,000 kg per hectare) whilst Francois Moutard puts his average yield at between 10,000 and 13,000 kgs. for the last 10 years. It is necessary to say that the vines originate from a selection made in 1900 by his maternal great-grandfather, Henry Marechaux, who had the generosity of giving such vines to all the vignerons of the region. Additionally, his root stock had been made from 2 quality grafts, the 3309 and the 161-49.

The Champagne Moutard Arbane Vieille Vigne
Always harvested last, generally between the 20th and 30th September, the Arbane grapes are pressed pneumatically. The picking was made at a temperature of 7o. The musts ferment at 20o in a small vat of 10 hl. The wine is bottled after 75 days and then stays for 18 months on its lees until disgorgement. The dosage varies between 8 and 10 grammes per litre depending upon the year. In its pale yellow colour, Champagne Moutard Arbane Vieille Vigne possesses an effervescence that is complemented by a lively mousse that demonstrates the class of this fine Champagne. With great finesse, the nose opens with notes of citrus fruit together with aromas of peach. The taste is at first nervous but then soft and persistent, dominated by white peach and the peach kernel.

In the 19th Century, Hyacinthe Diligent became an expert on spirits. 100 years later, her descendants are carrying on this tradition. First, under the encouragement of Lucien Moutard who, in 1988 created the distillery Moutard Diligent and then under the drive of Francois Moutard who built up the infant business.

Marc de Champagne and Eaux-de-Vie from Pear, Prunelle and Raspberry are enjoying a real success particularly amongst the countries of Northern Europe. They regularly achieve great success in several highly competitive international competitions for Eaux-de-Vie and Fruit Liqueurs in Metz.

The four superb copper stills are used from mid-November to mid-February.

During the grape harvest, the marc has to be tightly compressed. This is an important step because the first marc of the harvest, being at the bottom, must not be allowed to ferment before the later additions, which are brought in daily from the press, and which will be stored on top.

It is not so much the daily volume of distillation that is important but rather it is the quality of the water, which makes the difference. Francois Moutard uses only de-mineralised water.

Towards the end of the month of November, the stills are lit and roar into action. The aim of the distillation is to eliminate the inferior alcohol of poor quality from the superior alcohol. The operation consists of separating and discarding the “petites eaux” (25-30o) and to extract the “bon gout” (40-88o), which is the heart of the distillation.

And so, having pressed the grapes for the vinification of Champagne, they can be used again to make an Eau-de-Vie of great quality. Francois Moutard likes “to capture the spirit of the fruit” in order to balance the character of the alcohol.

The production of the distillery Moutard Diligent is around 30,000 litres of which only half is sold under the label “Derriere Les Murs”. The other half is delivered to confectioners to use in the production of the famous “chocolate corks with Marc de Champagne”.

The name conjures up an image of a secret that one shares between friends and its origin is connected to the history of the village, where there is a circle of walls, behind which the inhabitants of Buxeuil cultivate their small gardens.

Weekend initiative
In order to spread the word of the quality of his wine and spirits and to explain how they are made, Francois Moutard had the idea of organising an annual gathering at the time of lighting his stills. Over the course of two “open days” he reveals some of the secrets of his Eaux-de-Vie. The date is fixed each year in the fourth weekend of November at the beginning of the distillation period. For this event, Francois Moutard joins forces with three wine growing friends who come from other districts to show the produce of the region of the Aube.