Why it matters
The producer
Champagne Etienne Calsac is a Champagne producer working in and around Avize. The range centres on Chardonnay, supplemented by heritage grape varieties, and includes L'Échappée Belle, a blanc de blancs Extra Brut cuvée. Blanc de blancs identifies Champagne made from white grapes, while Extra Brut marks a dry style.
The producer's range is defined by mineral driven Champagnes. L'Échappée Belle is made to highlight how Chardonnay translates limestone and clay and limestone soils, placing grape and ground together in one bottle.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
The vineyards are scattered in and around Avize, a Champagne place where Chardonnay sits at the centre of Etienne Calsac's work. Heritage varieties supplement it, giving the range more than one grape voice while keeping Chardonnay as its main thread.
Avize is therefore present through both geography and grape choice. The local holdings provide the setting for cuvées that move from Chardonnay focused blanc de blancs to wines with a broader Grande Vallée profile.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
The domaine holds 3 hectares of vineyard. Each parcel is vinified separately, keeping the cellar work organised by individual holding.
A small percentage of wines is aged in barrels. Barrel ageing can add texture and gentle oxygen exposure, while the selective use keeps the treatment limited to part of the range.
Wines to know
The range in view
The range centres on Chardonnay and includes heritage varieties. L'Échappée Belle is a blanc de blancs Extra Brut made to highlight limestone and clay and limestone soils.
Les Rocheforts carries a different emphasis. It shows the body of the Grande Vallée while retaining a taut, racy palate. The cuvées therefore move between a soil focused Chardonnay expression and a fuller wine shaped by the Grande Vallée.