CHAMPAGNE FRANÇOISE BEDEL

The Biodynamic Pioneer

Françoise Bedel became a biodynamic winemaker before virtually anyone in the wine trade had ever heard of the term.

Today the estate is 8.4 hectares, and Bedel is doing things her way. While others champion the better-known Chardonnay and Pinot Noir varieties, she loves Pinot Meunier, and this variety features heavily in her winery. This is not uncommon as the Marne Valley is known for the quality of its Pinot Meunier, and Bedel is no exception to this, making some of the greatest expressions.

Bedel is famously patient with her Champagnes, and most bottles spend more than six years on the lees and often far longer. Low or zero dosage is also the rule in the winery.

Located on the extreme western edge of Champagne, Bedel farms vines near the village of Crouttes-sur-Marne on the far edge of the Marne Valley – they are closer to Paris than to Reims. The terroir here is dominated by clay with touches of limestone and gravel. Combined with the Pinot Meunier grape, this leads to wines with heft and weight with long, lingering acidity.

We don’t often think of decanting Champagne, but these are wines that are transcendent when exposed to air – they are wines of great soul and depth. Wines that deserve to be aged to enjoy their deeply vinous character.