Champagne’s Rising Star: Etienne Calsac 'L'Échappée Belle' Blanc de Blancs
In 2010, at just 26 years old, Etienne Calsac made the bold decision to reclaim and farm his grandparents' three hectares of vineyards in and around Avize. For generations, these prized parcels had been leased to major Champagne houses. Etienne saw something different: an opportunity to reveal the true character of these exceptional sites through his own wines.
From the beginning, his vision was clear. Great Champagne starts in the vineyard. He immediately began transforming the estate, introducing cover crops, plowing the soils, and transitioning the vineyards toward organic farming. Today, stewardship of the terroir remains the foundation of every bottle produced at the domaine.
Etienne's commitment to quality is equally uncompromising in the cellar. Having worked multiple harvests in Champagne before launching his estate, he adopted rigorous winemaking standards while incorporating ideas gathered from a new generation of talented vignerons. Each parcel is vinified separately to preserve its unique identity, with a small portion aged in barrel to add texture and complexity.
The result is L'Échappée Belle, (The Great Escape) the estate's flagship non-vintage Blanc de Blancs and one of the greatest values in grower Champagne today. Built around a perpetual reserve system begun in 2011 that adds depth and consistency from vintage to vintage, the wine showcases the elegance, precision, and mineral intensity that make Avize and the Côte des Blancs legendary among Chardonnay lovers.
What makes Etienne Calsac especially exciting is his relentless pursuit of innovation. Beyond L'Échappée Belle, he continues to experiment with limited-production bottlings, including a vintage Grand Cru from the Clos des Maladries in Avize and Les Revenants, a fascinating blend of rare Champagne varieties planted by Etienne himself in the Côte de Sézanne. These projects reveal a winemaker who respects tradition while continually pushing boundaries.
In just over a decade, Etienne Calsac has become one of Champagne's most talked-about young producers. Demand for his wines continues to grow among sommeliers, collectors, and enthusiasts seeking authentic, terroir-driven Champagne from a passionate grower-producer.
For those who appreciate grower Champagne at its finest as we do at Gordon’s, L'Échappée Belle offers a rare opportunity to experience the vision of a producer whose future appears limitless, while the wines he makes are among the most limited we offer.
93 Points, Gismond on Wine
After taking over his grandparents' 2.8 hectares scattered in small plots around Avize, Etienne transitioned to organic viticulture, working the vines by hand, plow and horse. This cuvée is based on Grauves, but also contains grapes from his family's plots in Cote de Sézanne, Côte de Blancs, and Vallée de la Marne. This current release is based on 2021, with 20% reserve wines from a perpetual starting in 2011. It was native fermented, with MLF encouraged, and aged on lees for 7 months before bottling, followed by 36 months in bottle. My bottle (with a brand new sharp label) was disgorged in August 2023 with 4 g/L. Deep, damp chalk is carved with pithy lemon, kissed with reduction, and structured with chardonnay's nimble acidity. The textural palate is almost chewy with lemon meringue, finishing with a chalky, saline return. As with all his wines, this is very savoury, though I find this cuvée the freshest, and most approachable.