For generations the Mouzon and Leroux families have been grape growers and wine producers. Nowadays domain Mouzon Leroux owns eight hectares of vineyards around grand cru village Verzy, in Montagne de Reims.
Working biodynamically since 2008, Mouzon Leroux aims for greater biodiversity in its landscape. In the vineyards, Sébastian Mouzon has planted other crops, like tomatoes, thyme, berries, cherry- and nut trees among the grape vines. In the trees little houses give shelter to birds and bats. In winter time, sheep and chickens are allowed between the vines to keep the cover crop under control.
Extracts produced with camomile, nettle, tea tree, oregano, Mouzon uses to help his vines through phases of heat, drought or wetness.
In the vineyards pinot noir is the dominant grape variety, with some chardonnay en meunier. Varieties hardly seen in Champagne are part of the collection too: arbane, pinot gris, pinot blanc and petit meslier. In some cases the varieties are planted together in the vineyard.
In cellar Sébastien Mouzon trusts indigenous yeasts to start fermentation, allows malolactic fermentation, and keeps the use of sulphites as low as possible. The base wines are allowed one to two years of development, after second fermentation the champagnes stay in cellar for three to eight years.
The Mouzon-Leroux champagnes are layered, expressive and wonderfully complex. Great partners at the dinner table.
