Frederic Savart Premier Cru Ecueil, Trepail Blanc de Blancs 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."

"Savart is one of the great success stories in Champagne over the last decade or so. That's no longer news. What I admire most though is Fred Savart?s relentless quest to elevate quality and his curiosity in exploring new approaches such as the use of glass Wineglobes for some of his wines. This is not the easiest range to understand as that experimentation also leads to cases where the 750ml and 1.5L versions of the same wine undergo completely different approaches in the cellar with regards to vinification/aging vessels and closures something readers should note. The top wines here have been gorgeous for some time but the entry-level offerings have recently moved up a notch." - Antonio Galloni Vinous

"The NV Blanc de Blancs Écueil Trépail is a new wine from Savart in the 2021 vintage a blend of Chardonnay from Écueil and Trépail. Tiny yields necessitated the blending of all the Chardonnay including several parcels that are typically vinified separately (such as Le Mont des Chrétiens) for this cuvée. Purchased fruit from parcels in Trépail account for 50% of the blend. Tangerine peel white flowers and marzipan are nicely amplified in the glass. A kiss of spice from the oak lingers on the close. This is essentially a vintage Champagne but not declared as such. Dosage of 4 grams per liter works well. Readers will find a Champagne of notable immediacy and allure. Disgorged: February 2024" - 92 points, Antonio Galloni Vinous

Producer: Frederic Savart

Country: France

Region: Champagne

Varietal: Chardonnay

Appellation: Champagne Premier Cru

Vintage: NV

Size: 750ml