Champagne Frederic Savart 'Les Noues' Premier Cru Extra Brut 2021
Frédéric Savart was born into a family of vignerons, but his real dream was to be a professional footballer. He even signed a youth contract with Stade de Reims, but after meeting the woman who was to become his wife, he refused a potential transfer to another club, and decided to return home to work with his father, Daniel. The family estate was founded by Daniel's father, René Savart, who purchased his first vines in 1947. Daniel himself took over the winemaking in the 1970s, although production remained extremely small until the mid-1980s, when he significantly expanded the family's vineyard holdings. Fred returned in 1993 at age 23 and in 2001 he left the cooperative, only doing pressing there. Since 2005, Frédéric has been at the helm of the estate.
Fred Savart works with two varieties, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, across two neighboring villages - Ecueil (3 ha) and Villers-aux-Noeuds (1 ha). His philosophy in the vineyards is to prevent disease as much as possible, rather than treat it—towards this end, he prefers a holistic approach, creating an environment within which the plant is better equipped to resist malady on its own.
Les Noues was one of the only lieux-dits deemed suitable for a standalone cuvée, making this a rare bird in Savart's already highly sought-after Champagne range.
Opening in the glass, the bouquet is bright and intense: orange rind, crisp pear, fresh red berry fruit, and brioche. It is medium-bodied, driven by a refreshing core of fruit and exhilarating, racy acidity. It concludes with a long, intense, and distinctly chalky finish.
Crafted with immense care, this Champagne is both incisive and age-worthy, as it is dangerously drinkable now, in Savart's classic fashion.
