Zero dosage but multi-dimensional …
The 2nd visit was to Etienne Calsac, located at the heart of the Côte de Blancs.
This is Chardonnay country. Etienne Calsac is based in the beautiful, sedate, little village of Avizé and Etienne is a young, enthusiastic and driven grower, who makes wines that are precise and have electric energy. He works 4 hectares of vines (3ha are his own and 1ha belongs to his mother) and when he took over the domaine in 2010, he converted to organic farming and started work to improve biodiversity through ploughing of the vineyards and use of cover crops.
Each plot is vinified separately in order to express its unique terroir and he grows some of the lesser-known grapes allowed in the appellation like Petit Meslier (for its higher alcohol potential and higher acidity levels) and Arbane, which add acidity and body to the wines. Etienne avoids reductive wine making, using old barrels for fermentation and he allows malolactic fermentation to happen, if it wants to. Malo rounds out the low or zero dosage tension that are characteristic of his style. Purity of expression and the capturing of a unique site are Etienne’s prinicipal preoccupation and his wines have verve and finesse.
Some highlights from the tasting:
Les Revenants 2018 was a sensation and has all the romance we love in wine- he planted these vineyards himself and it took 10 years to get it to bottle. A blend of Petit Meslier, Arbane and Pinot Meunier it was a complex, ripe, herbal sensation with chalky, saline mineral notes. The label is a replication of a family photo that he found in an old shoe box.
Clos des Maltries is a savoury “vin gourmand” from his grandparents’ back yard - we tasted the 2017 vintage, from 100% old oak barrels and aged in bottle under cork and not crown cap. Full and ripe with a saline finish.
Etienne is also a bit of a maverick and admits he gets bored easily, which I found very refreshing. He regularly embarks on experimental projects, one of which resulted in the unique wine “Comet” (Projet Comète) with his restaurateur friend, Maxime Chenet. It has verve, energy and tension, with an underlying oxidative note that thrills.
It was a privilege to share a rustic lunch in the cellar with Etienne and the gang - generous plates of charcuterie, cheese, terrine and chewy, crusty bread. All in all, an inspiring and intimate visit and a real insight into what's "behind the label" of these unique, food-friendly wines.
Some of Etienne’s range including le Projet Comète and les Revenants
Etienne Calsac