Champagne Etienne Calsac

Etienne Calsac

In 2010, at the age of 26, Etienne Calsac decided to take control of his grandparents’ three hectares of vineyards scattered in and around Avize, which had previously been rented out to the grandes maisons. Chez Calsac, stewardship of the terroir is the basis for great Champagne, so Etienne set out to ensure that all the vineyards are planted with grass cover crops, plowed, and transitioned to organic farming.

Etienne himself had worked several vintages helping with press before starting his own domaine, and he decided to maintain the same strict quality controls, as well as add a few personal touches inspired by tastings and conversations with other young vignerons. Each parcel is vinified separately, with a small percentage of wines aged in barrels. In addition to the perpetual reserve for his non-vintage cuvée ‘l’Echappée Belle,’ Calsac also keeps a separate reserve tank for the single-vineyard ‘Les Rocheforts.’

Calsac has an eye for experimentation and has released several limited cuvées, including a yearly vintage-dated Grand Cru from the Clos des Maladries in Avize, and ‘Les Revenants,’ a blend of Pinot Blanc, Arbanne, and Petit Meslier from a vineyard that Etienne planted himself in the Côte de Sezanne. With dynamic releases and impactful quality, the potential of the domaine is unlimited – though the highly sought-after wines are not.

Key information

Champagne

Avize

3 hectares

Founded in 2010

Organic certified since 2020

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The wines

Champagne L’Échappée Belle Extra Brut

Sparkling Wine
 : 100% Chardonnay
Calsac_LECHAPPEE-BELLE_packshot-PRINT

'L’Echappée Belle' translates to 'The Great Escape.' 70% of the base wine comes from the village of Grauves, known for its cooler microclimate. The vineyards were planted by Etienne’s grandparents, who are both from Grauves. Beginning in 2011, Etie...

Val l’Hermite

Sparkling Wine
 : 100% Pinot Noir
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Cuvée Projet Comète No. 3

Sparkling Wine
 : 100% Chardonnay
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Fruit for this wine comes from a parcel situated right next to Les Revenants – it's a Revenants with Chardonnay!

Champagne Les Revenants

Sparkling Wine
 : 50% Pinot Blanc, 45% Petit Meslier, 5% Arbanne
Calsac_LESREVENANTS_packshot-PRINT

While finishing his studies in 2010, Etienne replanted a few rows of 'forgotten' Champagne varieties in one of his family vineyards in the Côte de Sézanne. Pinot Blanc, Petit Meslier, and Arbanne were overlooked for decades, but Etienne was interes...

Champagne Les Rocheforts 1er Cru Blanc de Blancs

Sparkling Wine
 : 100% Chardonnay
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Les Rocheforts translates to 'the strong rocks.' In 2012, Etienne started a separate perpetual reserve just for Les Rocheforts. This 1er cru single-vineyard in Bisseuil sits on pure chalk soils and creates a precise and beautifully expressive Blanc...

Champagne Rose de Craie

Sparkling Rose Wine
 : 90% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Noir
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Etienne produces a confidential amount of rosé each year using Pinot Noir from Vertus, blended with a selection of base wine from L’Echapée Belle. Etienne’s goal is to create a pale-hued rosé reminiscent of the Blanc de Blancs house style.

Champagne Avize Grand Cru Clos des Maladries

Sparkling Wine
 : 100% Chardonnay
clos

The Clos des Maladries sits at the entrance to Avize, enclosed in a walled garden behind Etienne’s grandparents' home. Etienne’s grandfather planted the vineyard in his backyard in the 1970s, and in 2010, Etienne requested the official 'clos' desig...

Coteaux Champenois Photogramme

White Wine
 : 100% Petit Meslier
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This still wine sees seven months of skin-contact prior to bottling. The leaf on the front label is a cyanotype of an Arbane leaf.