Françoise Bedel is a small family estate in the Vallée de la Marne at the western edge of the Champagne region, in the village of Crouttes-sur-Marne, on the banks of the Marne river. The domaine is in fact located closer to Paris than it is to Reims. The modern history of Champagne Françoise Bedel started almost 40 years ago when Françoise took the reigns of her parents’ domaine. Françoise’s life is quite extraordinary. Since birth, her oldest son, Vincent, had been very ill and she could not find any doctor nor hospital who could cure him. She sought the help of a homeopath in a nearby village. Soon Vincent, now winemaker at the Domaine, was on the road to recovery. This is how Françoise’s journey to biodynamic viticulture started, step by step, in 1982, at a time when virtually no one in the wine world had heard about it. She was introduced to the benefits of homeopathy, which led her to explore a new way of thinking.
Françoise’s son, Vincent Desaubeau joined the family vineyard in 2003. Since then, the duo has been farming the vineyards featuring Pinot Meunier (over 80%), along with Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir averaging 50 years of age, and planted on clay, limestone, and gravel. They are both dedicated to the respect of their soils and biodiversity, thus producing healthy grapes.
Harvest is manual and the wines are produced in the new cellar built in 2015. Although the cave seems elementary, it is a place flooded with light, which combines modern architecture, and high environmental features. The still wines age on their lees, followed by further ageing in the underground cellar, up to six years with regard to some cuvées. Dosage (addition of sugar) is non-existent, or near to zero.
What Françoise Bedel has achieved is quite remarkable. Back in the 1990s, being a woman in Champagne, in addition to following biodynamic principles, wasn’t always easy, but she followed her strong beliefs and she has since inspired many a wine grower.
