Location and landscape
Verzy is a commune in the Marne department in the Champagne region, about 20 kilometres south-east of Reims in the Montagne-de-Reims sector. The village is situated on the edge of the Montagne de Reims on a pronounced cuesta. The vineyards are located on the mid-slope positions between the wooded plateau and the lower-lying agricultural areas.
Soils and viticulture
The village lies on white chalk of the Campanian stage. In the commune area, sands, marl, clays, coarse limestone, marl-limestone, calcareous loess and chalk rubble also occur. Verzy has around 400 hectares of vineyard area, all of which is classified as Grand Cru. According to the commune’s tourism information, cultivation is focused mainly on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Champagne made from grapes harvested in Verzy may carry the supplementary designation Grand Cru.
Historical background
A monastery was founded in Verzy around 530. The abbey of Saint-Basle, associated with the commune’s religious history, was demolished after it was sold in 1792. To combat damage caused by the phylloxera vine pest, a local winegrowers’ syndicate was established on 15 August 1899.
Winegrowing practice
The winery based in Verzy, Champagne Mouzon-Leroux, grows Arbanne, Petit Meslier, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Pinot Noir accounts for 60 per cent there and Chardonnay for 35 per cent of the plantings. The estate reports on environmentally oriented cultivation since 1997, biodynamic viticulture since 2008, registration for organic certification since 2011, and horse-drawn traction when working the soil in young vine plots. The grapes are harvested and sorted by hand. Cultivation also includes agroforestry plots with more than 1,500 trees and shrubs, over 800 aromatic plants, as well as winter grazing by hens and sheep. In the cellar, among other things, local yeasts, malolactic fermentation, seven- to 24-month barrel maturation on full lees, and three- to five-year bottle maturation on lees are used.
