The De Sousa Family, a Winemaking Lineage

Behind this Portuguese name lies a champagne house founded 50 years ago. Three generations of the De Sousa family have worked the Avize terroir, turning their fine bubbles into the new obsession of Paris’s top pastry chefs. Pierre Hermé is a big fan, and we’ll tell you why!

Champagne De Sousa: A Family Story

The De Sousa & Fils champagne house was founded in the 1950s, when Antoine De Sousa, the son of Portuguese immigrants, married Zoémie Bonville, who came from a family of winemakers that had been based in Avize for several generations. Since 1986, their son Erick has been at the helm of the estate. When you have a Portuguese name and want to make champagne, you quickly run into a slew of prejudices. “He doesn’t make champagne, he makes sparkling wine!”, “He doesn’t know how to make wine…”. But far from being discouraged by these negative remarks, Erick and his family are motivated to prove that their champagnes are just as good as any others. They’ve proven themselves, fought against prejudice, and, through hard work, earned a fine reputation. A sweet victory over those who didn’t believe in them. Erick is doing things right: he’s passing on the passion to his three children. The eldest, Charlotte, now works with him at the estate. When asked if she’d always dreamed of being a winemaker, she tells us it’s a passion that grew on her little by little. “When we’re children, we all dream of jobs we’ll never have. As we grow up, we realize the treasure we hold in our hands and beneath our feet.” Julie and Valentin, the youngest, are still in school but are brimming with ideas. “When she finishes her studies, Julie would like to work part of the vineyard with our own horses. It’s a wonderful project!”

Champagne De Sousa: The Cuvée des Caudalies

Today, Maison De Sousa stands out for its commitment to perfection.

A commitment to perfection, exemplified by his transition to organic farming in the 2000s and to biodynamic farming in the 2010s. “This brings out the true flavor of the champagne. The Chardonnay that grows on chalky soil gives our wines a distinct minerality.” This is characteristic of the terroir of Avize, the small village in the Côte des Blancs where the estate is located.

But De Sousa champagnes offer other unique qualities: old vines between 30 and 50 years old that lend the wine great roundness, a longer aging process compared to other houses, and wines aged in oak barrels.

Their signature wine? The Cuvée des Caudalies, which helped put them on the map. 100% Chardonnay, a grape variety typical of Avize, aged in oak barrels. Its distinctive character lies in its blend: it consists of 50% base wine and 50% solera-blended wine (that is, a blend of wines from different vintages, a “perpetual reserve”). This method results in a wine with great body and is generally very successful.

Champagne De Sousa: A Success in Japan

This commitment to perfection is also reflected in another cuvée that pays homage to Japan: the Umami cuvée.

There are sweet, salty, sour, and bitter flavors, and then there’s umami—a Japanese word meaning “savory”—which is one of the five basic tastes. This cuvée has made a splash in the culinary world, particularly with Pierre Hermé and the Japanese chef Sadaharu Aoki, who embraced it immediately.

“We had been working with Japan for many years and traveled there frequently. As a result, we were very attuned to the concept of umami, a flavor found in hundreds of our cuvées. We wanted to create a champagne that would do it justice. It required a special winemaking process: old vines that yield greater concentration, oak barrel aging, bâtonnage, a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and a long aging process… in short, a complex and opulent wine!”

And their hard work is paying off. Not only have they carved out a solid niche for themselves among the prestigious Champagne houses, but partnerships are also forming. “Olivier Leflaive from Burgundy approached us to expand his range. So we produce their champagne: Valentin Leflaive. They manage their brand and distribution, but we serve as oenologists and consultants.”

Today, their goal is to expand the estate and create new vintages that reflect their perfectionism and their love for the craft.

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