New Allocation | Etienne Calsac

Champagne Etienne Calsac, Avize

At just 26 years old, a young Etienne purchased 3-hectares of vineyards from his grandparents who had previously leased them to larger houses. He's a clever ideologist with a watchful eye on everything, having converted all of his holdings to organic farming, along with cover crops and horse plowing to minimize soil compaction. In the cellar, he continues to work with various vessels and time spent on the lees. Every cuvée is highly expressive of their terroir, but all possess great drive, texture and energy. Few people are aware of his conservationist efforts, with replantings being entirely massale selection of the region's near extinct varietals.

A fascinating grower whose wines you rarely see...

NV Etienne Calsac Champagne 1er Cru Bisseuil ‘Les Rocheforts’ Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut (base 2023)
• 100% Chardonnay. Base vintage of 2023 comprises 80% of the cuvée, with the other 20% coming from a reserve perpetual solera started in 2012. Sourced entirely from a single parcel called Les Rocheforts, situated in the town of Bisseuil, a premier cru village in the Côte des Blancs. Vines average 35 years in age; the soil is chalk and the exposure is southeast. Primary fermentation in tank, with malolactic fermentation in a combination of barrel (15% for 7 months) and tank. 2 g/L dosage.

NV Etienne Calsac Champagne ‘Les Revenants’ Extra Brut (base 2023)
• "The Forgotten." Base vintage 2023. 50% Pinot Blanc, 43% Petit Meslier, 7% Arbane. ‘Les Revenants’ is a Champagne ‘a l’ancienne’—in 2010, Calsac planted .3ha of a family vineyard in the Côte de Sezanne to some of the forgotten Champagne varieties: Pinot Blanc for body, Petit Meslier for aromatics, and Arbanne for acidity. The vineyard, called ‘Les Fours,’ is in the town of Montgenost, south-facing, and sits on sandy topsoil with chalk beneath—the combination of sand and chalk allows for earlier ripening, key with a grape like Arbane. All the grapes are picked together on the same day; they are also pressed together all at once. Everything is included at press rather than just the ‘coeur de cuvée’ as in his other wines (this is another older, less common technique making a comeback with some younger winemakers). After pressing, the wine is settled in stainless, then racked off into one 600L barrel. Spontaneous ferment, kept on lees for seven months, then transferred unfiltered into bottle. Bottles are aged under cork rather crown cap. 24 to 30 months sur lattes under cork; each bottle is hand-disgorged. No additional dosage but 4g/L naturally occurring sugar.

2022 Etienne Calsac Champagne Grand Cru Avize ‘Clos des Maladries’
• 100% Chardonnay from a 0.16 ha Grand Cru vineyard parcel in Avize, planted in the early ’70s by Étienne’s grandfather. ‘Maladries’ is the name of a medieval hospital housing contagious patients; one was located on the vineyard site centuries ago. The soil here is pure chalk of a prized type called belemnite, which is thought to impart greater minerality and acidity. The exposure is due south; the walls of the clos also retain heat, aiding in ripening. The vineyard is planted at a high density. After harvesting with manual sorting in the vineyard, the grapes are pressed—as an homage to the old way of making Champagne, everything is included at press rather than just the ‘coeur de cuvée’ as in his other wines. One third of the juice is transferred to a neutral 350L barrel; the rest is kept in stainless. After fermentation the wines are kept on lees in those same vessels without racking for seven months. Both portions go through malolactic fermentation. 36 months sur lattes. Disgorged September 2026, 2 g/L dosage.

For all shipping inquiries - please contact shipping@thebottlelist.com

Orders which include wines marked PRE-ARRIVAL that are combined with in stock items will be available for shipping/collection once all items have arrived at our warehouse. Minimum purchase per order is 3 bottles.

If you place an order it may be held for more favorable shipping weather. If you would like to discuss expedited shipping options just contact us. Orders are automatically insured for $100, you can add additional insurance at checkout.

Automatically receive a discounted ground shipping rate when you order a full case of 12 bottles (mix and match - 750ml only). Shipping promotion not valid for combination with previous orders. Pricing for this offer only and not retroactive.

.

-The Bottle List