France · Côte des Blancs

Champagne Esterlin

Épernay cooperative Champagne with Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, no malolactic fermentation, and extended bottle ageing.

The producer

Champagne Esterlin is a cooperative house headquartered on Avenue de Champagne in Épernay. Approximately 200 member growers farm roughly 110 to 120 hectares, with Meunier leading the house grape composition and Chardonnay and Pinot Noir alongside it. The cellar avoids malolactic fermentation and uses extended bottle ageing, while a Solera reserve dates from 1972. The range includes Brut Éclat, Blanc de Blancs Éclat and Brut Nature 2009, showing fresh fruit, mineral notes, brioche, honey and silky texture.

Known for

Meunier led Champagne with extended ageing

Notable facts

The story

A Currency Becomes A Name

In 1983, Champagne Esterlin adopted the name Esterlin for its wines. The word came from an old currency, and the same currency gave rise to the British term sterling. The name became the house name on the bottles. It now appears across a range that includes Brut Éclat, Blanc de Blancs Éclat and Brut Nature 2009. The adoption fixed the name used for the house and its cuvées.

From the atlas

Champagne Esterlin

A cooperative Champagne house in Épernay, with Meunier led wines, extended bottle ageing and a permanent reserve Solera.

At A Glance

FieldDetail
Region and baseChampagne, Avenue de Champagne in Épernay
House typeChampagne cooperative
Member growersApproximately 200
Vineyard areaRoughly 110 to 120 hectares
Main grapes50% Meunier, 40% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Noir
Named winesBrut Éclat, Blanc de Blancs Éclat, Brut Nature 2009

The Producer

Champagne Esterlin is a cooperative Champagne house with a grape base led by Meunier, supported by Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Its range includes the non vintage Brut Éclat, Blanc de Blancs Éclat and Brut Nature 2009. The cellar leaves malolactic fermentation out of the process, while extended bottle ageing allows texture to develop before release.

Place

Champagne Esterlin's headquarters sits on Avenue de Champagne in Épernay, where it is the only Champagne cooperative on the street. The house draws fruit from the Coteaux d'Épernay, the Vallée de la Marne and the Sézannais. Several Champagne growing areas therefore feed the same cooperative cellar.

Story

Three families, Fransoret, Dehu and Cadestin, founded the cooperative in 1948. In 1983, the house adopted the name Esterlin, taken from an old currency from which the British term sterling derives. The new name became the name on the bottles and across the wine range.

Vineyards And Cellar

Malolactic fermentation is left out of the cellar, so malic acidity stays sharper. Extended bottle ageing gives time for texture to develop around that acidity. Reserve wines pass through a Solera, a permanent reserve system that combines wines from different years through successive additions. Esterlin also holds HVE certification.

Wines

Brut Éclat is the non vintage cuvée. Blanc de Blancs Éclat is a Blanc de Blancs, a Champagne style made from white grapes. Brut Nature 2009 is the vintage bottling, and Brut Nature means no added dosage. The three wines differ through release format, grape style and dosage.

In The Glass

Brut Éclat is fresh and expressive, with green apple, pear and apricot joined by lemon and mineral notes. The palate is balanced and lively, finishing crisp, refreshing and long.

Blanc de Blancs Éclat brings white flowers and citric fruit, followed by brioche, cream and subtle saline hints. It is fresh and powerful while remaining delicate, with honey, butter and crisp minerality lasting through the finish.

Brut Nature 2009 shows ripe apple and pear with hazelnut and almond. Its palate is lively and mineral, with marked acidity, good volume and a silky texture.

A Bottle To Understand It

Open Brut Éclat first. It is the non vintage bottle in the range, with pale yellow colour and fine, persistent effervescence. Blanc de Blancs Éclat moves to a white grape style, while Brut Nature 2009 brings a vintage bottle with no added dosage.

Anecdote

In 1972, Champagne Esterlin established a Solera, or permanent reserve, for its reserve wines. The system keeps wine from different years together, with newer additions refreshing the older material. Solera work is uncommon in Champagne. The reserve remains part of the house cellar today.

Final Word

Champagne Esterlin combines cooperative growers with a cellar that preserves malic acidity and keeps reserve wine in a permanent Solera.

Sources

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