De Sousa : Cuvée Mycorhize V.15

Characteristics and Tasting Notes of the De Sousa "Mycorhize V.15" Cuvée

Tasting

Color
Dressed in a hue ranging from pale gold to light amber, this cuvée reveals a remarkably fine effervescence, underscored by persistent, elegant bubbles.

Nose
Strikingly mineral, the bouquet expresses intense aromas of chalk, flint and oyster shell. It then opens onto delicate floral notes of acacia, linden blossom and hawthorn, rounded out by subtle hints of oak, vanilla and brioche.

Palate
The palate stands out for its taut, precise and electric texture. Perfectly integrated acidity balances a chalky minerality and an underlying salinity. Subtle flavors of citrus, orchard fruit and stone fruit emerge before stretching into an exceptionally long, persistent finish.

Food and Wine Pairing

This great wine pairs wonderfully with seafood, shellfish or sole meunière. It also enhances dishes rich in umami, such as Japanese cuisine or wild mushroom preparations, as well as aged cheeses like Comté or Pecorino.

Serving and Cellaring

Boasting superb aging potential, the "Mycorhize V.15" Cuvée can be enjoyed now or left to rest in the cellar to be drunk until around 2030.

The elegance and mineral purity of a great champagne from De Sousa

The Estate

Founded in 1950 by Antoine de Sousa and Zoémie Bonville, the De Sousa Champagne House is located in Avize. This family estate, spanning around ten hectares of vineyards, is now run by the third generation: Charlotte, Julie and Valentin de Sousa. A pioneer in environmental practices, the estate adopted organic farming as early as 1989, followed by biodynamics from 1999. The estate stands out for preserving its very old vines and for using horse plowing, which nurtures soil life and allows for an authentic expression of terroir.

The Vineyard

Grown on a roughly one-hectare plot located within the Avize Grand Cru, at the heart of the Champagne appellation, this cuvée takes its name from mycorrhizae, the essential symbiotic relationships between soil fungi and vine roots. The vines, aged between 60 and 80 years, sink their roots deep into a soil composed entirely of chalk. Facing east-southeast, this terroir benefits from meticulous horse plowing to preserve the underground ecosystem and prevent soil compaction.

The Blend

This cuvée is crafted from a base wine, to which about 25% of a perpetual reserve, initiated by the estate in 1995, is added, bringing remarkable complexity to the final blend.

Winemaking and Aging

The grapes destined for the "Mycorhize V.15" Cuvée are hand-harvested at optimal ripeness. Only the cuvée wine, representing the first 75% of the pressing, is kept. Fermentation takes place using indigenous yeasts in 225-liter French oak barrels at a temperature of 18°C. After malolactic fermentation, the wine is aged on the lees with bâtonnage for 10 months. This is followed by roughly three years of bottle aging, enhanced by the traditional technique of manual poignétage to resuspend the lees.

Grape Variety

Chardonnay (100%).