Écueil house led by five generations of women, farming Pinot Noir biodynamically and making long lees aged Champagne.
The producer
Champagne Élodie D. farms a Premier Cru vineyard in Écueil, on the Montagne de Reims, where Pinot Noir dominates 9.14 hectares across 35 plots. Élodie Desbordes took control at age 20 in 1997 and is the fifth consecutive woman to lead the house. Horse plowing, cover crops, sheep and no chemical inputs shape the vineyard work. Resurgence 2007 Extra Brut uses indigenous yeast, oak barrels from the family forest and 11 years on lees.
Known for
Écueil Pinot Noir and long lees ageing
Notable facts
The family ancestry in Écueil dates to 1692.
The first Champagne from the family was produced in 1844.
Élodie Desbordes took control at age 20 in 1997.
The vineyard covers 9.14 hectares across 35 plots, with Pinot Noir dominant.
The vineyard received sustainable viticulture and high environmental value certifications in 2017.
Resurgence 2007 Extra Brut aged 11 years on lees.
The story
Élodie Takes Control
In 1997, Élodie Desbordes started making wine for the family business at age 20. She became the fifth consecutive woman to lead the house, following a family line whose ancestors cultivated vines in Écueil from 1692. The first Champagne from the family came in 1844. Élodie's succession continued at an estate where Pinot Noir dominates 9.14 hectares divided across 35 plots. In 2017, the vineyard received sustainable viticulture and high environmental value certifications.
From the atlas
Champagne Élodie D.
Champagne Élodie D. farms Premier Cru Pinot Noir in Écueil with biodynamic vineyard work and long lees ageing in Resurgence 2007 Extra Brut.
At A Glance
Field
Detail
Home village
Écueil, Montagne de Reims
Vineyard status
Premier Cru terroir
Main grape
Pinot Noir
Farming
Horse plowing, cover crops and sheep
Cellar approach
Indigenous yeast, oak barrels, no fining or filtering
The Producer
Élodie Desbordes started making the wine at age 20 in 1997. She is the fifth consecutive woman to lead Champagne Élodie D., a family house whose ancestors cultivated vines in Écueil from 1692 and made their first Champagne in 1844.
The vineyard covers 9.14 hectares divided across 35 plots, with Pinot Noir dominant. Horses plow between the vines, cover crops grow between the rows, and sheep manage the vegetation. No chemical inputs are used. The vineyard received sustainable viticulture and high environmental value certifications in 2017.
Place
Écueil is a Premier Cru terroir in the Montagne de Reims, a Champagne subregion known for Pinot Noir. Premier Cru is a classified place status within Champagne, so Écueil gives the bottle a more specific origin than the regional name alone. The village setting also explains why Pinot Noir leads the house's plantings.
Wines
The range includes several cuvées, with Resurgence 2007 Extra Brut as the named single vineyard expression. It is Pinot Noir from the Gillis plot, planted in 1971, with production under 2,000 bottles. Extra Brut is a dry Champagne style.
The wine ferments with indigenous yeast, then ferments and ages in oak barrels from the family's own forest in Écueil. It spends 11 years on lees and receives no fining or filtering. Its range position is defined by one vintage, one grape, one plot and an extended cellar period.
In The Glass
Resurgence 2007 pours shimmering golden yellow with persistent fine mousse. Rose and cherry blossom sit over lightly toasted brioche, bay leaf and honeycomb on the nose. The palate brings refined apple, mandarin orange and citrusy red currant, with zesty energy and medium plus body. Stony minerality and a slightly chalky feel carry into the finish, with raspberry accents.
Final Word
Champagne Élodie D. joins Premier Cru Écueil Pinot Noir, horse worked vineyard practices and a single vineyard Extra Brut shaped by long lees ageing.