Story
Mouzon-Leroux
Verzy · Champagne · France
For six generations, the Mouzon family has been established in the village of Verzy, a grand cru of the Montagne de Reims, famous not only for its Faux de Verzy with its twisted beech trees but also for its long-ageing Champagnes. Sébastien Mouzon, in 2008, departed from the conventional family model to pursue his own path with his 55 parcels in the superb grand cru of Verzy, the domain of Pinot Noir. An encounter with the Alsatian Pierre Frick steered the thirty-year-old winemaker towards biodynamics and a certain approach to winemaking to be as close as possible to the finely strict taste of the clay-limestone soils of Verzy. He boldly introduced agroforestry principles to the region, a pioneering move. Over 700 trees, shrubs, and hedges now adorn his vineyards, along with 300 aromatic plants like thyme, mint, and oregano. Taking a holistic approach, Sébastien employs sheep and chickens for winter grazing, while horses handle ploughing duties.
“In a bid for natural pest control, he even constructed bat roosts.”
In the cellar, vinification takes place as naturally as possible, then the wines are aged on lees for several months. In just a few vintages, the champagnes reached an excellent level: balanced with lively finishes. Very energetic, they require another year or two in the cellar to gain wisdom and smoothness.
