Lacourte-Godbillon N.V. Terroirs d'Ecueil 1er Cru Brut

The Wine

As a Grower-Producer Champagne, Lacourte-Godbillon seeks to emphasize terroir and vintage variation over a uniform house style.

With a spine of Pinot Noir, this is wine delivers elegant fruit aromatics, fine bubbles, an enticing savory palate and a yeasty finish. The wine begins with a pale straw-yellow color that is brilliantly clear and brought to life by a fine, persistent mousse. Aromas of orange peel, crisp ripe apple and almond, all underscored by notes of rising yeast.

With a dosage of just 5 grams per liter, it balances nicely between bone dry and approachable, offering a creamy texture and a mineral lift that carries through to the finish. This wine is an excellent ambassador for Premier Cru finesse and biodynamic craftsmanship.

Pairings: Vegetarian dishes, smoked fish, goat cheese, wild fowl, and nutty cheeses. A most versatile companion for both refined and rustic fare.

With their property located Écueil, L-G crafts biodynamic wines that reflect the unique soils and spirit of the Montagne de Reims.

The Winery

Champagne Lacourte-Godbillon, is based in the Premier Cru village of Écueil on the west bank of the Petite Montagne de Reims. The domaine’s roots trace back to vines planted before 1947, with the first harvest under the Lacourte-Godbillon name in 1968.

In 2006, Géraldine Lacourte and Richard Desvignes left their city careers to revive the family estate, embracing a philosophy centered on terroir and sustainability. Their 20-acrres of vineyards (95% in Écueil and 5% in Les Mesneux) are planted predominantly to Pinot Noir (85%) with a touch of Chardonnay (15%), and the average vine age is 30 years. The soils vary from sand over deep chalk to Sparnacian clay (common to the area, coming from an ancient marine layer gich in clay and organic material that is particularly well-suited to producing a savory Pinot Noir!).

Farming is certified organic and biodynamic (Demeter), with no pesticides or chemical treatments. Manual harvest and canopy management ensure grape quality, while winemaking is minimal intervention: each plot is vinified separately to preserve its identity, juice is moved by gravity, and barrel-aged wines are neither racked, stirred, nor filtered.

Oak barrels are sourced locally from the Champagne-Ardenne forests, and bottles are aged between 30 months and 7 years, followed by 3 to 6 months of rest after disgorgement.