Savart L'Ouverture Premier Cru Blanc de Noirs Brut, Champagne NV

Fred Savart is a force to be reckoned with. Tasting in his cellar is as much a tour of the various terroirs of the Montagne de Reims as it is a discussion of what’s new in the wine world. Fred is first and foremost a farmer but right behind that he is a bonafide wine geek. His cellar's entrance is lined with dead soldiers from all the great names and his idea of having you over for dinner is blind tasting you on things that he's really excited about at that moment. Constantly evolving, Fred is making almost a dozen wines from just 4 hectares. In his own words, his winery is "a laboratory of terroirs and a creator of cuvées."

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.

Most of Savart's wines are fermented in stainless steel, although he is increasing the use of barriques, which he has been working with since 2004. Malolactic may be carried out or not, depending on the individual wine and the particularities of the vintage. That said, wines that have reserve wine in the final blend will go through malo because the wine has gone through more heating and cooling cycles. The dosage, which is generally low, is always MCR. "It's more neutral," says Savart, "and also, it's better than using a liqueur that's poorly made or poorly stored."

L'Ouverture is Fred Savart's entry level Champagne but it is far from one-dimensional. It is 100% Pinot Noir all from the village of Ecueil, half of which was fermented in mostly neutral barrel with the other half is fermented in stainless steel. The wine is in equal parts a blend of three successive vintages and aged under cork, not crown cap. Dosage is 7g/L.

“Crafted entirely from Pinot Noir grown in Écueil, it includes 40% purchased fruit, which Savart’s team harvests themselves. The wine is vinified in 350-, 400-, 500- and 600-liter barrels, with 5% to 10% of the barrels being new. Wafting from the glass with aromas of pear, red apple, pastries and spices, it's medium-bodied and fruit-forward, with succulent yet vibrant acidity and an expansive finish. Among Savart’s range, this particular wine may come across as somewhat straightforward.” - 90 Points, Wine Advocate 

Producer: Frederic Savart

Country: France

Region: Champagne

Varietal: Pinot Noir

Appellation: Champagne

Vintage: NV

Size: 750ml