NV Champagne Lacourte-Godbillon Terroirs d'Ecueil Premier Cru Champagne 750 ml

Those with a finger on the Champagne pulse will tell you: Lacourte-Godbillion is a house to know. And the biodynamic grower-producer’s Terroirs d'Écueil is a radiant expression of their Premier Cru land. 

The wine is a beautiful balance between creamy texture and electric vitality, layered fruit and acidic vibrancy—achieved in part thanks to winemaking consultant Eric Rodez, the former chef du cave at Krug. When Decanter’s Karen MacNeil first tasted the Terroirs d'Écueil last year, she raved: “Oh my, what beauty, what grace. I felt as if I’d been showered in snowflakes of purity,” admiring how it “can hover ethereally and yet at the same time be grounded in richness and yeastiness.” 

Containing 85% Pinot Noir, this wine showcases the suppleness and depth the variety can achieve in Écueil. The Premier Cru village sits on the northwest slopes of Montagne de Reims, where soils have more sand mixed with the clay than in surrounding villages. Lacourte-Godbillion’s 30-year-old Pinot vines here produce wines of exceptional vibrancy and refinement. 

The family farms this land carefully and thoughtfully. They avoid herbicides, pesticides, and other chemicals as much as possible and have earned organic and biodynamic certifications for their efforts. Geraldine Lacourte and her husband, Richard Desvignes (is that perfect?!) have been tending the vineyards since 2006, although Geraldine’s family has been farming Écueil’s slopes since 1947. 

They age the Terroirs d'Écueil for a minimum of two years in the cellar before releasing it. During that time, it develops balance, sophistication, and seamlessness. It’s an exquisite wine from a true hidden gem of a grower-producer.