Élise Bougy, based in Les Mesneux in the Montagne de Reims, represents a new wave of Champagne growers bringing a freer, more intuitive and artisanal approach. After working in restaurants and travelling through other wine regions, she took over her family’s vineyards planted on sand, clay and chalk, mainly with pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay. Farming is organic, intervention low, fermentations are spontaneous and ageing takes place in barrels, jars or tanks depending on the cuvée, always with minimal or zero dosage. The wines show fresh apple, ripe lemon, delicate red berries, white flowers, wet chalk and occasional subtle lactic or spicy notes from varied élevage. The palate is lively, pure and fine, with delicate bubbles, precise tension and a gentle gourmandise. Élise Bougy’s style is free, sensitive and artisanal, expressing the evolving face of Champagne.