Champagne Mouzon Leroux

Though a family tradition for more than 250 years, Sébastien Mouzon is another up-and-coming small producer in the Montagne de Reims. On clay and limestone soils and more than 50 parcels summing up to 7.5 hectares in Verzy (which is located in the southeast of Reims), he cultivates mainly Pinot Noir (in the west of the village) but also Chardonnay (in the east) and all the other Champagne classics such as Arbane, Petit Meslier, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Meunier. The family has been using environmentally friendly farming techniques since 1997, and since 2008, Sébastien has engaged in biodynamic farming in order to express the particular terroir in Verzy in the most authentic way. All the grapes are picked by hand, and the juice is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged on the lees in barrels or vats for up to six months. The second fermentation takes place over two to six years, depending on the cuvée. Mouzon currently produces six or seven cuvées. William Kelley, ROBERT PARKER