Origin and Terroir
Champagne Mouzon-Leroux is based in Verzy, a place described as a Grand Cru village in the Grande Montagne de Reims in the Champagne. The vineyards lie in the terroir of Verzy and are oriented to the north-east. Their soils consist of clayey limestone, silty limestone, flint and chalk from the lower Campanian.
Viticulture
The estate has worked biodynamically since 2008 and is certified by Demeter. The procedures for organic certification began in 2011; the first vintage to be certified organic dates from 2014. The entire stock of eight hectares is designated as organically certified. More than 1,500 trees and shrubs, as well as over 800 aromatic plants, complement the parcels. In winter, chickens and sheep graze in the vineyards. Young vines are worked with horse power to reduce soil compaction; ripe grapes are picked by hand and sorted grape by grape.
Grape Varieties and Style
According to the family, the Mouzon family has been involved in viticulture from father to son since 1776. All seven approved Champagne grape varieties are grown: Arbanne, Petit Meslier, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The vineyard areas consist of 60 percent Pinot Noir, 35 percent Chardonnay and 5 percent of the other five varieties. The wines are presented as Champagne with a terroir-driven character made from grapes from Verzy.
Maturation and L’Atavique
For the wines, the estate uses natural yeasts from the grapes and does without fining and filtration. The wines mature on the lees in barrels or tanks and are then, depending on the cuvée, aged in the bottle for about two to six years. Dosage and sulphur additions are usually very low or omitted. L’Atavique consists of 100 percent Verzy Grand Cru fruit, of which 70 percent is Pinot Noir and 30 percent Chardonnay. The cuvée is bottled as Extra Brut with a dosage of 1 gram per litre and, after disgorging, matures in the cellar for an average of six months.
