New Burgundy from Fanny Sabre

EXCITING ARRIVAL:
Fanny Sabre
Pommard, Burgundy, France

Now based in Pommard, Fanny began her wine-making back in 2000 when she inherited 4.5 hectares of prime holdings in Pommard, Meursault, Volnay, Savigny-Les-Beaune, Aloxe-Corton and Beaune. Over time, working with the great Philippe Pacalet (nephew of the iconic Marcel Lapierre, Philippe is widely considered one of Burgundy's finest organically committed winemakers), she concentrated on making wine in a more natural, less machine/chemical way.

In time, she converted each of her vineyards to 100% organic farming. Fanny also began the process some time ago of retooling her cellar(s) to the use of traditional barrels, vats, obtaining new equipment and doing all she could to be as non-interventionist as possible. Fanny's wines have no additives except for a small amount of sulfur after malolactic fermentation and at bottling. Fanny also favors a partial use of modest "semi-carbonic" maceration in some of her wines allowing for a lighter extraction of Pinot noir flavor. She believes in whole cluster fermentation (grapes and stems together at first—just like Jean-Francois Bourdy does from the 14th century methods in Jura!) which further enhance the wine's energy and vigor.

Fanny Sabre Bourgogne Aligoté 2022
Aligoté is in legit renaissance - top bottlings from Burgundy are exemplary these days for a grape that’s been around there for a long time, but nearly forgotten. Fanny’s version from the 2022 harvest is genuine: mineral-fixated, the vines are ones her dad planted in Pommard, a zone never reserved for rare aligoté. A “natural” wine from super terroir, dry, flinty and of gripping complexity. $40.00

Fanny Sabre Bourgogne Blanc 2022
Natural fermentation in stainless steel, then moved to old barrels from great ground equals a shot of lightening in a bottle from a stellar winemaker with a light touch. Makes for a nice comparison - try this Chardonnay from its source/homeland and one of the top offerings from right here in Oregon. From plots in Beaune fermented in steel and raised in neutral wood barrels. $46.00

Fanny Sabre Bourgogne Rouge 2022
Made with indigenous yeasts and in old barrels, Fanny's Bourgogne Rouge is a beautiful entrée to her finesseful winemaking style. Lovely aromas of incense cedar and lightweight cherries. Pinot noir from several microparcels (each hand-harvested, fermented, and aged separately) around the Beaune appellation. Some top producers use the "Bourgogne Rouge" appellation to house small holdings blended together when not enough land in each upper level terroir is enough to bottle singly, as most of her parcels are very small. $49.00

Fanny Sabre Clos des Renardes Beaune Blanc 2022
Fanny Sabre is a terrific guide through previously unknown zones of Burgundy, as her wines add nothing and take nothing away from what starts off in the grapes themselves. Clos des Renardes is above the Beaune vineyard les Avaux. She loves this place, which is surrounded by forest and has lots of flowers including wild irises around it. The Clos des Renardes Blanc from Beaune, 100% Chardonnay, is about as clear of a picture of this place as you might ever get. These are 40-50 year old vines on clay-limestone soil. In the winery, the wine is lightly pressed in a pneumatic press and ages in 500L neutral oak which lends texture more than flavor to the wine itself. It is stirred once during its time in barrel. Of course, native yeasts, unfined and unfiltered — natural beauty! $80.00

Fanny Sabre Pommard 2022
Fanny’s Pommard comes from a selection of parcels of very old vines of pinot noir. Pommard is a region known for structured and bold reds but with Fanny’s lighter touch this is an approachable wine now. A wine that will elevate a simple supper into an occasion! $89.00