Uutiset
“She is rapidly gaining a cult following both in France and abroad for her highly individual, biodynamically-grown champagnes” - Peter Liem
Historia
Françoise Bedel is one of the most emblematic figures of the Champagne biodynamic movement. A pioneer, we may well say that she is the Lalou Bize Leroy of Champagne. In the 1990’s she started wondering how to give more sense and spirit to her work, she met several biodynamic winegrowers who introduced her to their alternative way of thinking, she soon adopted more organically and sustainable practices such as eliminating all chemical pesticides and weed killers, in 1998 she began to work biodynamically. According to her this revolution was an undeniable success as the vines roots are now descending deeper into the subsoil, extracting more mineral elements and her wine gained in structure and in terroir character.
Viiniviljelykset
Crouttes-sur-Marne in the far west of the vallée de la Marne is far from being a famous region for Champagne but Francoise has made the most of the terroir and she gives to Pinot Meunier a unique taste. The vineyards are composed of 79% of Pinot Meunier, 14% of Chardonnay and the rest being Pinot Noir.
Viinivalmistus
She is relying on traditional and manual methods only, from pressing of the grapes to remuage.
Vinification takes place either in barrel or in enameled steel tanks, the wines are also strongly influenced by their long lees ageing: even the non-Vintage entry level Cuvée Origin’elle is aged for six years (very few producers would dare immobilize their wines that long for financial reasons) therefore all of her wines have a markedly leesy character. She tries to produce less standardized wine that is why she uses little reserve wine and practically each one of her non-Vintage Champagne relies on one-year production only.
The wines are strikingly original in personality, Bedel’s champagnes are intensely soil-expressive, reflecting the clay and limestone terroirs of this area of the Marne, and they display a common energy that is unarguably the signature of biodynamic wines. Her Vintage champagne l’ame de la terre is created by blind tasting in the cellar, varieties are not even known during the final blending so the composition can vary a lot. She mostly let her Cuvées age in barrels and for the second fermentation the wines are bottled with cork rather than capsule.
The predominance of Meunier in these champagnes provides them with a certain breadth and roundness and their long aging on the lees enhances their sense of depth.