Frederic Savart Champagne Haute Couture Extra Brut 2017

Having been born into a family of vignerons, Frédéric Savart's path into wine seemed pre-destined. But his real dream was to be a professional footballer. As a youth, Frédéric signed a contract with Stade de Reims, playing as an attacking midfielder. But as is so often the case, Frédéric met a woman, refused a transfer, ended his football career, and returned to his father's vineyards. Oh, he married the woman too. 

The family estate was founded in 1947 by Frédéric's grandfather, René Savart. René's son, Daniel (Frédéric's father) took over the winemaking responsibilities in the 1970s, but production remained extremely small. It wasn't until the 1980s, that Daniel significantly expanded the family's holdings, and increased production to the levels we see today. Since 2005, Frédéric has been at the helm of the estate, though Daniel is still very present, happy to share a glass of wine or two with visitors.

Today, the Savarts farm four hectares of vines, three in Ecueil and one in the neighboring village of Villiers-aux-Noeuds. Nearly all of it is pinot noir, with just a half-hectare of chardonnay: "Historically, Ecueil is a pinot noir terroir," says Frédéric. 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. The soils in this area can vary: many parcels in Ecueil are notably sandy, although there's more clay on the mid-slope, and a few areas that are relatively chalky. The soils of Villiers-aux-Noeuds are generally chalkier than those of Ecueil, and Savart's vineyards here are particularly prized for their sélection massale of the renowned Pinot fin d'Ecueil, planted here by Daniel and René.