Every great region has a few extraordinary individuals who champion its unique character and terroir. In Verzy, that responsibility lies in the hands of Sébastien Mouzon, a dynamic grower producing some of the brightest, most incisive and mineral Champagnes we have tasted. He is one of the so-called “third wave” of grower-producers—a new generation pushing the boundaries of what has previously been done in their region. So, for example, you could say that what Aurélien Suenen is to Oiry and Alexandre Chartogne is to Merfy, then Mouzon is to Verzy. 

Verzy is a Grand Cru village with three hills and valleys offering a variety of expositions (mostly north-facing) and soil types. Plots to the east are dense with chalk and rock, with thin topsoil and plantings heavily skewed towards Chardonnay. The vines on the western side (near Verzenay) are on harder clay-rich soils where Pinot thrives. This cool region allows for long, slow growing seasons, which in turn allow for the development of complex layers of flavour. And, while the wines can be concentrated, they are rarely heavy; even in the warmest vintages, they retain high acidity, aromatic precision and tight structures.

Since taking over the reins of his family Estate in 2008, Mouzon has become one of the region’s beacons in agroecology, and what you could call ‘Vitiforestry’. An outspoken critic of agrochemicals, he and a few fellow vignerons have planted over 5,000 trees of varying heights in the village of Verzy. Sébastien is also a great believer in polyculture and plants hundreds of aromatic plants in his vineyards. Chickens, sheep, and herbal remedies are used to manage cover crops and pests.

The domaine farms 60 different plots across eight hectares in Verzy. While most of the estate plantings are Pinot Noir, there are some small holdings of Chardonnay, Arbane, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier and Petit Meslier. While many in Champagne fret about the effects of a warming climate and how to best retain freshness and balance, Mouzon is, conversely, focused on building flesh and breadth around his fruit’s electric, wiry framework. Low yields are critical; Mouzon often harvests a single bunch per vine from his coolest, north-facing slopes. In the cellar, plenty of oak exposure is used to flesh out the backbone during long elevage on lees (which are being extended each year). The wines also go through malolactic. “My wines are already quite tense from the northeast exposure and the silex soils, so I don’t really need to worry about acidity,” he explains. “I don’t want to use sulfites to block the natural malolactic process, and I don’t want to filter the wines, either.” 

As sculpted and incisive as the wines are today, Sébastien is getting increasingly precise in the cellar. A pied de cuve from his oldest vines is used as a natural starter, helping him work with minimal sulphur, which never exceeds 15ppm. He’s also sourced a yeast propagated from the Aube biodynamic producer Fleury for the second fermentation, meaning the pressure never exceeds 5 bars (instead of the classic 6 bars found at the big Champagne houses). The resulting wines are lovely expressions of their origins, full of purity and mineral intensity that keeps you coming back, sip after sip.

Sébastien Mouzon’s wines can be found on the great lists of Paris, and his name is on the tip of many sommelier tongues in Europe and the US. We’re delighted that Australia has now got in on the action. If you are looking for restrained, elegant and incisive Champagne from a rising star, look no further.