Etienne Calsac 'L'Echappee Belle' Blanc de Blancs NV

A lot of Champagne has been drunk in recent weeks as I holidayed across Europe. I was surprised and excited by the number of producers I had never heard of before, so I enjoyed tasting through a whole range of new things.

Etienne Calsac doesn’t quite fit that category as we have stocked his wines at Five Ways before, albeit very briefly, but it helped me recognise the name when browsing the shelves of Cantine Isola in Milan. Their Champagne range is formidable which made picking a few bottles quite tricky.

Fortunately, it seems as though picking a bottle of Etienne Calsac 'L'Echappee Belle' Blanc de Blancs NV off the shelf was the right call. We drank it a week later in Mykonos, overlooking a quiet and secluded beach in the east of the island. Etienne Calsac is based in Avize in the Cote de Blancs, working mainly with Chardonnay. This wine is actually a Blanc de Blanc and it possesses all the best traits of some of our favourite wines from this part of Champagne. It’s racy with bright acid, but the primary fruit that fills the mid palate is ripe and bronzed. There’s a wash of chalk and river pebbles across the back palate, and a slight leesy element that enhances the texture. A really exciting wine and a good introduction to the producer. – Ches Cook, FWC. 

Extra Brut, 100% Chardonnay, Disgorged 10/2023 25% oak 75% stainless steel vats. Aged on fine lees. 18 to 24 months. 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, Etienne has kept a perpetual reserve just for this cuvée, and 30% of the final blend of 'L’Echappée Belle' is produced with reserve wine.