Champagne Famille Moussé L'Esquisse Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut NV

Eugène Moussé made his family's first Champagne in 1923, after the grape-price collapse of 1922 pushed him to start bottling his own. Fourth-generation winemaker Cédric Moussé now runs the estate in Cuisles, in the Vallée de la Marne, with solar power in the cellar, geothermal temperature control, and pigs, chickens, and sheep working the vines. The house is best known for Meunier, but L'Esquisse, "the sketch," is its Blanc de Blancs: 100 percent Chardonnay from vines averaging 40 years in Cuisles and Jonquery, on clay, sand, and limestone marl threaded with the green illite clay the area is known for. Built on the 2023 harvest, it is fermented in stainless steel, rests 22 months on the lees, and is finished Extra Brut with just 2 grams per liter of dosage. Taut and fresh rather than rich, it keeps its focus on clean white fruit from the first sip to the finish. A sketch in name only.