Seated and development
Champagne Etienne Calsac is based in Avize in the Champagne region of France. Etienne Calsac founded his own domaine in 2010 by leasing vines from his grandparents and settling in Avize.
Origin of the grapes and work in the vineyard
The grapes come from the Côte des Blancs, including Avize and Grauves, the Grande Vallée de la Marne with Bisseuil, the Côte de Sézanne with Montgenost, and the Côte des Bars with Bligny. The vineyard areas are planted predominantly with Chardonnay; in selected parcels, older grape varieties are also replanted.
The viticultural approach includes observation, work on the soil and ongoing reassessment of cultivation. The soil of the Clos des Maladries parcel is worked with the help of a horse.
Parcels and cuvées
L’Échappée Belle is a Blanc de Blancs with an Extra-Brut dosage from 100 per cent Chardonnay from clayey-limestone soils of the Côte des Blancs, the Côte de Sézanne and the Grande Vallée de la Marne. Les Rocheforts is a Blanc de Blancs 1er Cru with an Extra-Brut dosage from 100 per cent Chardonnay. The parcel cuvée comes from Bisseuil, where calcareous soils slope to the east.
Rosé de Craie is a rosé champagne with an Extra-Brut dosage made from 92 per cent Chardonnay and 8 per cent Pinot Noir. Clos des Maladries comes from a south-facing parcel with calcareous soil in the Côte des Blancs and is made as Brut Nature. Les Revenants is produced from 50 per cent Pinot Blanc, 43 per cent Petit Meslier and 7 per cent Arbane from south-facing slopes of the Côte de Sézanne; there, sandy loam soils lie over calcareous subsoil.
Vinification
Vinification is designed to be minimal and uses spontaneous fermentations. For selected wines, parcel-based vinification is carried out. L’Échappée Belle matures with reserve wines for 20 per cent in barrique and in stainless-steel tank; it is neither filtered nor clarified. Les Rocheforts is vinified and matured in equal halves in wood and in stainless-steel tank, also without filtration or clarification.
Rosé de Craie matures for 20 per cent in wood and for 80 per cent in stainless-steel tank. Les Revenants is fermented in a 600-litre demi-muid, matured under cork and neither filtered nor clarified.
