Françoise Bedel Champagne 'Comme Autrefois' 2002

In a sleepy hamlet at the western edge of the Vallée de la Marne – the heartland of Pinot Meunier – Françoise Bedel is making refined, long-aged Champagnes.

The Bedels sold their grapes to local merchants until Françoise took over her family estate in 1979. One of Champagne’s earliest adopters of biodynamics, she diligently farms 8ha of Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir by hand around Crouttes-sur-Marne. 

Vinified in a combination of oak barrels and enamel tanks, Bedel’s wines undergo extended lees-ageing before being bottled with zero or extremely low dosage.
 
A blend of Bedel’s three grape varieties, ‘Origin’elle’ combines freshness with complex oxidative notes. ‘Vin Secret’ is suave and spicy, showcasing the elegant, fruit-forward character of Pinot Meunier. Generous and deeply layered, ‘Entre Ciel et Terre’ offers notes of honeyed apricot and smoke. Aged for 10 years sur lie, ‘L’Âme de la Terre’ is Bedel’s richest wine, balancing brioche-scented fruit with tingling acidity.

With Pinot Meunier finally starting to get the attention it deserves, and the spotlight firmly trained on quality-obsessed growers like Françoise, her wines are attracting more admirers with every release. This small parcel comes direct from her cellar.

'Comme Autrefois' is built around Meunier aged first in oak casks and then in a cork-stoppered bottle. Deep and floral, tinged with brioche – stunning!