Au revoir Monsieur Erick De Sousa!
Champagne mourns one of his finest and most renowned small producers, Erick de Sousa, head of the famous Champagne House "De Sousa", has passed at the young age of 59 years old.
An iconic figure of the Côte des Blancs, he was a pioneer of biodynamic methods and certified Bio and Demeter, and his many cuvées reflected his passion for quality, purity, precision, and, more specifically, they were the perfect expression of the various terroirs the grapes were coming from and the various blends he was creating and crafting with them.
Located in Avize, at the heart of the Cotes des Blancs, his vineyards holding comprises about 42 plots, spanning 9.5 hectares, including 2.5 hectares of coveted old vines in Avize, Cramant, and Oger.
Production is about 85,000 bottles annually and, with the exception of his entry-level "Brut Tradition", every vineyard source is "Grand Cru", with 70% of vines over 40 years of age and a significant percentage 50-60 years old. Some planted by his grandfather are more than 80 years old.
If you have never tried "De Sousa" Champagnes, you definitely should as each of them is a truly unique experience on its own for your tastebuds.
And, since 1995, for the old vines (more than 50 years old), the vinification is done in small oak barrels to give matter to the wine, providing them with even more complexity, personality, and character.
Champagne De Sousa Cuvées currently include the following:
Brut Tradition
Extra-Brut
Réserve
Brut Rosé
3A
Mycorhize
Cuvée des Caudalies
Cuvée des Caudalies Rosé
Cuvée des Caudalies Grand Cru 2008
Cuvée des Caudalies Grand Cru 2010
Umami 2009
And, you will surely like more than one, no doubt. Production is rather small for some of them, so they are not easy to find and often allocated, and thus some of the prices are in consequence of the rarity. Yet, they are absolutely worth it.
Moreover, the price to pay for such artisanally and meticulously crafted champagnes is rather small compared to the hefty prices of some of the bigger and more commercial champagne house's entry levels.
Thoughts and condolences to the family. RIP 🙏
Dom
Info sourced from:
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