Fanny Sabre – Introduction
Fanny Sabre has established herself as a leading producer of quality natural Burgundy wines. She is only in her early thirties, but she has very good vines in some great appellations surrounding the ancient city of Beaune as well as a few plots in Pommard, Volnay and Meursault. Her cellar is in the small town of Pommard where she also runs a delightful cafe.
She is producing a range of wines in small quantities that are snapped up by the natural wine bars proliferating in Paris and New York.
We have been working with Fanny for a number of years now and are delighted with the delicate perfection of her wines which are made with as little intervention as possible.
Fanny Sabre Cuvée Camille 2021
Cuvée Camille is a relatively new wine for Fanny Sabre (she did release the same wine in 2019 and 2020). It is a pet nat (made using the traditional Methode Ancestrale technique) that is a lovely dry sparkling wine with a lingering aftertaste.
The wine is named after her beautiful daughter, a facsimile of whom is displayed on the label.
One of the things we love about this pet nat is that it is made from 100% Pinot Noir which has been grown in the lush, red soils of Pommard! The Pinot Noir was directly pressed so the wine is white (a Blanc de Noir).
Note that Fanny also made a cuvée of Camille from Aligoté in 2021 but the wine we have is the Blanc de Noir, made from Pinot Noir.
RRP: $62 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Aligoté l’Oranger de Pierre 2021
Fanny occasionally releases an orange (skin contact) wine made from either Aligoté or Chardonnay that is named after her son Pierre.
This year it is made from the Aligoté grape variety that has been sourced from a plot planted by her father in the rich, red soils of Pommard which are known throughout the world for producing stunning red wines of great complexity. This wine shows that they also add complexity and longevity to wines made from white grapes as well!
The juice was actually macerated on skins and also matured in an amphora. The wine is a very satisfying 11% alcohol. In the glass it is a light orange colour and in the mouth it is a complex and satisfying flavour both from the grapes’ exposure to thesoils of Pommard and from the polyphenols that were extracted from the Aligoté skils during the maceration.
This is a great wine to accompany just about any food or for drinking as an aperitif.
RRP: $74 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Mercurey Village Blanc 2020
Fanny has extended her holdings down to the Côte Chalonnaise which lies below the great white growing areas of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet. She has bought a plot in the Mercurey appellation where Chardonnay thrives. It has gained “Village” status in recognition of the quality of the white wines grown in this area.
You will find this to be a beautiful wine of considerable charm!
RRP: $112 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Bourgogne Rouge 2023
This wine is not quite Pommard, but it is as close as you can get without it being so.
Fanny’s Bourgogne Rouge comes from three formerly Pommard plots which were declassified after World War 2!
The soil is clay and iron, typical of Pommard terroir. The vines are approximately 40 years old and the viticulture is organic certified by ECOCERT.
Whole bunches were macerated in open tronconique oak vats with punch down and pump over twice per day for approximately 2 weeks during alcoholic fermentation before pressing.
Aging on lees was for 11 months in a combination of 400 litre barrels and a 20 HL tronconique oak vat, with a proportion of the barrels new. There was no racking or filtration.
To paraphrase Fanny, it is “very digestible and delicious, a fruity, balanced and sunny wine, with the quality of Pommard terroir.” 12% ABV.
RRP: $86 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Bourgogne Blanc 2023
The Fanny Sabre Bourgogne Blanc is always a hot favourite. It is made from 100% Chardonnay sourced from her vineyards around the city of Beaune.
It is a blend from two clay and limestone parcels, both of which have beautiful terroir. One is in Meursault below the Château de Meursault and the other on the hillsides of Pommard next to Pommard terroir.
The vines are approximately 40 years old and certified by ECOCERT.
After hand sorting in the vineyard, the grapes were directly pressed and the juice settled for 48 hours prior to aging in 500 litre and 228 litre oak barrels (a proportion of which were new).
The wine was aged on lees with no interventions except small additions of sulphites after malolactic fermentation and during aging. It was racked after 11 months and then lightly filtered before bottling.
It is well rounded and balanced with a mineral finish reflective of its lovely terroir. 13% ABV.
RRP: $83 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Bourgogne Aligoté 2023
Fanny Sabre shows a fine touch with her Aligoté. Aligoté is the white wine that the locals drink in Burgundy. It is gradually emerging as an interesting wine in its own right rather than playing second fiddle to Chardonnay as more talented winemakers such as Fanny show what can be achieved with this grape.
It is not only the winemaking in this case but also the terroir because Fanny’s late father used up some of his precious land in Pommard to plant the Aligoté vines.
The right-most hill on this label is painted blue which Fanny uses to indicate that this is a white wine.
Fanny’s Aligoté vines were planted on the hills of Pommard by her father. They are now approximately 50 years old. The viticulture is organic, certified by ECOCERT.
After hand sorting in the vineyard, the grapes were directly pressed and the juice settled for 48 hours prior to aging in 500 litre oak barrels (a proportion of which were new).
The wine was aged on lees with no interventions except small additions of sulphites after malolactic fermentation and during aging. It was racked after 11 months and then lightly filtered before bottling.
It may be only12% ABV but it has structure and length.
RRP: $77 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Beaune Blanc Les Prevolles 2022
Les Prevolles is named after the lieu-dit (Les Prevolles) where the vines are planted, which is on the plain between Beaune and Pommard.
Fanny’s vines cover only 0.12 hectares. The vines are approximately 40 years old. The viticulture has been organic since 2019 and is in the process of certification.
After hand sorting in the vineyard, the grapes were directly pressed and the juice settled for 48 hours prior to aging in 500 litre and 228 litre oak barrels.
The wine was aged on lees with no interventions except small additions of sulphites after malolactic fermentation and during aging. It was racked after 11 months and then lightly filtered before bottling.
Fanny’s observation is the wine has great depth and length for a village appellation. 12.5% ABV.
RRP: $134 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Volnay 1er Cru Les Santenots 2020
Fanny is always looking for interesting plots to purchase and she has recently bought another plot in the highly prized Volnay appellation. She now has two premier cru plots being this one, Les Santenots and Les Mitans.
Wines from Les Santenots show up one of the difficulties for outsiders trying to understand how Burgundy works. Les Santenots is quite close to the border of the famous white wine area of Meursault. If white grapes are used from this area it is labelled as Meursault Premier Cru and if red grapes are used (as in this case with the plot Fanny has purchased) it is labelled as Les Santenots Premier Cru!
RRP: $206 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Anatole Rouge 2022
This is a red wine that Fanny has released from this IGP appellation.
The village of Sainte Marie La Blanche lies on the eastern side of the A6 freeway to Pommard and shares some of the iron rich soil that makes Pommard wines so attractive although here it is more clay and sand from the Pliocene era.
In this IGP it is possible to make wines with a mix of Gamay and Pinot Noir with a little Pinot Gris thrown in but this one is made from 100% Pinot Noir. It is named after Fanny’s youngest son, Anatole and is totally delicious.
The cork for this wine is made from 100% recyclable material.
RRP: $76 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Vin de France Anatole Blanc 2022
This is a white wine that Fanny has released under the Vin de France label.
The vines are approximately 8 years old, with all the varieties co-planted in clay and limestone soil. The grape varieties are Chardonnay, Pinot Auxerrois, Pinot Gris, Aligoté and Melon de Bourgogne. It has been in organic viticulture since 2018 and is certified by ECOCERT.
Directly pressed, the juice is settled for 24 hours then half was aged in 500 litre barrels (which had been used for 4 wines previously) and half to amphora.
The wine was aged on lees with no interventions except small additions of sulphites after malolactic fermentation and during aging. It was racked after 6 months and then lightly filtered before bottling.
This wine is light and fresh and ready to drink now. 11.5% ABV.
RRP: $65 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Savigny-Les-Beaune 2018
This 100% Chardonnay is from the Savigny-lés-Beaune appellation just north west of the very old town of Beaune in Burgundy. Whites from this appellation are relatively rare as only small quantities are produced.
Fanny Sabre makes all her wines using natural methods. No filtering (there is some sediment in the wine) as she believes that this strips out the flavour, no fining, no commercial yeasts to control the fermentation and no poisonous sprays in the vineyard. The care that she takes shines through in the wines.
The Wine Anorak Web site describes this wine as follows:
Complex nutty nose with notes of apple, pear and meal. The palate is fresh and slightly oxidative with lively mineral notes as well as nuts and apples. Distinctive: really lively and multidimensional.
RRP: $(SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Saint-Romain Blanc 2018
Saint-Romain is a small village in the Côte de Beaune region of Burgundy which lies about 12 kilometres south west of the city of Beaune.
The appellation, which allows both white wines and red wines, is very close to Pommard, Volnay, Monthelie and Meursault and this is why Fanny has acquired a small vineyard in this area as it is perfect for the production of interesting white wines.
Chardonnay thrives here of the marl and limestone clays which provide a distinct minerality to the wines.
This wines is a real treat, it is fresh, it is lively and the flavour lingers for a long time – a sign of a truly great wine! If you haven’t tried a Saint-Romain before here is a chance to sample one of the best.
RRP: $97 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Savigny-lés-Beaune Rouge 2023
The vines for this wine are between Beaune and Pernand-Vergelesses. The soil is clay and limestone and the vines are approximately 30 years old.
Whole bunches were macerated in open tronconique oak vats with punch down and pump over twice per day for approximately 2 weeks during alcoholic fermentation before pressing.
Aging on lees was for 11 months in 400 litre barrels and a 20 HL tronconique oak vat, with a proportion of the barrels new. There was no racking or filtration.
This wine has a freshness and lightness which makes it suitable for early drinking. 13% ABV.
Note that we do have a few bottles of this delicious wine left, however the labels have some minor damage due to a breakage. A discount will therefore apply to each of these bottles.
RRP: $137 (On request)
Fanny Sabre Beaune Blanc Clos des Renardes 2022
Clos des Renardes is a vineyard within the Beaune appellation which sits between Pommard and Beaune, not far from her premier cru Chouacheux vines.
Fanny bought her Clos des Renardes parcel in 2016. It is a 2.2 hectare parcel that was mainly planted with Pinot Noir but with some Chardonnay. The majority of the vines are about 40 years old but Fanny has planted more Chardonnay to take advantage of the terroir here.
The grapes were direct pressed and cold macerated in stainless steel until transferred to old wooden barrels for fermentation with indigenous yeasts. The wine was bottled without any fining or filtering.
This is a lovely wine that is drinking very nicely already. This is Burgundy Chardonnay at its best!
RRP: $148 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Beaune Rouge Clos des Renardes 2022
The Fanny Sabre Clos des Renardes is a new vineyard that Fanny has acquired in this very good terroir. It is made from 100% Pinot Noir and the wine benefits from clay and limestone soils found in this vineyard.
Fanny macerated the juice in stainless steel for 5 days and then transferred the juice to old barrels for fermentation for 15 days and then maturation for 12 months.
This is a beautiful, elegant wine that is drinking nicely now but which will benefit from a year or two in the cellar. There is also a dramatic new label for this wine!
RRP: $148 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Hautes-Côtes de Beaune Rouge 2023
Obviously, the vineyards that Fanny maintains in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune are at a higher altitude than her standard Beaune vineyards, therefore they benefit from the cooler climate in this area. The vines here have very low yields so Fanny is able to make concentrated wines from the concentrated flavours developed in the fruit.
Harvesting is always manual and the grapes are placed in small crates so the fruit is not damaged. The grapes are taken to her winery just near the centre of Pommard where the juice is placed in old barrels for up to twelve months before resting in stainless steel tanks prior to bottling.
This is a lovely, complex wine with great minerality and black and red fruit aromas and very fine tannins.
RRP: $105
Fanny Sabre Monthélie Rouge 2017
People are definitely starting to take notice of Monthélie as am emerging appellation! If you drive south out of Beaune on the D973 you very soon pass through the famous wine villages of Pommard and Volnay and then arrive at Meursault on the left side of the road and Monthélie on the right. The Monthélie vineyards are, in fact, very close to some of the finest vineyards of Volnay! It is definitely an appellation to watch. The soils are excellent, the exposure good and the proximity to the other fine appellations means that great wines are possible here.
This wine is an intriguing one for us. It displays some of the strength of close-by Volnay and some of the structure of Pommard, but it an energetic, lively yet elegant wine displaying characteristics found only in Monthélie.
Here is what the famous web site Petitcaves said about this wine recently:
“les tanins finement ciselés apportent ce qu’il faut de structure sans oblitérer la pureté du jus. Et c’est là que l’on reconnait le travail naturel de Fanny.
Le fruit est respecté – cerise cuite -, les arômes aériens – pivoine, pétales séchés, épices orientales-, rondeur respectable et fermeté se répondent. Quelle maîtrise, Madâme!!”
Our rough translation is:
the finely crafted tannins bring structure without obliterating the purity of the juice. And this is where we recognize the natural work of Fanny. The fruit is respected – baked cherry –, the aromas – peony, dried petals, oriental spices -, respectable roundness and corresponding firmness. What mastery, Madame!!
RRP: $86 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Monthélie Les Sous Roches Rouge 2019
This year we are lucky to have a wine from a new plot that Fanny has acquired. It is from a very good lieu dit in the up-and-coming Monthélie appellation which is just over the road from the famous Meursault appellation.
This is a beautiful red wine which lovers of Pinot Noir will be charmed by. It has both complexity and length along with very complex aromatics and will reward some cellaring while also being suitable for drinking now.
RRP: $94 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Pommard Premier Cru Charmots 2015
Fanny Sabre has a number of plots dispersed throughout Pommard and this one is made from the highly regarded Les Charmots lieu dit (plot of land) which has Premier Cru status. Here the famous marl-based soils give their calcareous minerals to the vines to create wines of power and structure.
This appellation is known for strong, austere Pinot Noir wines that take a while to reveal their best side. This is a very interesting wine that is lively on the palate and has a long finish. It needs to be decanted for an hour or so prior to drinking.
RRP: SOLD OUT
Fanny Sabre Pommard 2021
Fanny Sabre has a number of plots dispersed throughout Pommard and this wine comes from a plot of very old vines. This appellation is known for strong, austere Pinot Noir wines that take a while to reveal their best side, however the 2019 is a very good wine with lots of structure that is drinking well now. The combination of the very old vines and the complex marl soils that combine mudstone and calcium carbonate minerality help to provide the structure and complexity present in this wine.
As with the Premier Cru Pommard above this is a very interesting wine that is lively on the palate and has a long finish. It needs to be decanted for an hour or so prior to drinking.
We only have a tiny allocation of this wine so we expect it to sell out quickly.
RRP: $(SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Volnay 2021
We very much enjoyed tasting this Volnay in Fanny’s cellars on our most recent visit. This wine is made from 100% Pinot Noir. It has been a harrowing few years for Fanny as hail has wiped out her vineyards in Volnay and Pommard for the last few years. However in 2015 she was again able to harvest enough grapes to make a Volnay wine! And in 2021 she also had a good harvest.
The colour is light, the palate shows finesse allied with depth of flavour. It caresses the palate and lingers with the promise of further delights from the next sip. A beautiful wine.
RRP: $ (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Volnay Premier Cru Les Mitans 2017
Volnay is famous for the deeply-coloured red wines made from Pinot Noir here. Small amounts of white and grey grapes can be grown in the vineyards and used in the wine, but only if they do not exceed 15% of the plantings. Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris are the permitted non-red varieties.
Les Mitans is a “climat” which means middle or centre because this small plot lies near the centre of the Volnay commune at an elevation of 250 metres on a south-east facing slope on the same side of the village as the venerable Clos des Chênes climat. The soil here is quite deep and is strewn with limestone pebbles.
This wine is a wonderful example of a Volnay Premier Cru with great structure, vivacity and length, as you would expect from one of Fanny’s wines from such revered terroir.
RRP: $180 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Beaune Premiere Cru 2015
The vintage of 2014 were really, really low yielding and the vintage of 2015 was richer from the higher temperatures experienced that year. There was so little wine in 2014 that Fanny did not have enough juice to separately vinify the grapes from Chouacheux, the Vignes Franches and the Les Sceaux premiere cru plots that she has in the Beaune appellation. Instead this is a blend from those three areas. The good news is that the result is very good indeed in both vintages. Typical Fanny Sabre – the wines are delicate and elegant while having an underlying power and structure that is very appealing.
RRP: $(SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Beaune Premier Cru Chouacheux 2021
The Beaune Premier Cru Chouacheux is Fanny Sabre’s premium wine from a well-known ‘climat’ in the Beaune Premier Cru appellation. The climat is very close to Pommard and shares very similar soil. It is made from 100% Pinot Noir.
The first thing that you will notice about this wine is how fresh it tastes. It is alive and also has a great mouth feel. The taste lingers and promises even more with some age. A great example of a Beaune from a great climat.
We are so pleased to see this wine back as it is a personal favourite. We only have a very small allocation of this wine so we expect it to sell out quickly.
RRP: $201 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Aloxe Corton Rouge 2021
The Aloxe Corton appellation is known for its age-worthy red wines and mouth-filling white wines. Sitting just below the iconic hill just north of Beaune, this appellation shares much of the same terroir as its more famous cousin. This wine offers plenty. We get hints of plum and flowers and, like all of Fanny’s wines the mouthfeel is very pleasant and the finish is long. This is another well-balanced, light, delicate and perfectly balanced wine that will be delightful drinking for the next five years.
RRP: $159 (SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Santenay Premier Cru Blanc 2016
Santenay lies immediately below Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet, two of the great Burgundy regions for the production of white wines and therefore shares some of the main characteristics of the terroir of these two famous regions.
Fanny has a small vineyard in this appellation which is within the Premier Cru area for white wines made from Chardonnay and/or Pinot Blanc. This wine is made from 100% Chardonnay.
Note that this wine was from the 2016 harvest which means that it has been maturing for quite some time to produce a rich and satisfying wine of some complexity.
RRP: $(SOLD OUT)
Fanny Sabre Chorey-Les-Beaune Blanc 2019
Chorey-Les-Beaune lies on the northern outskirts of the city of Beaune in Burgundy. In fact, if you drive from the centre of the city north long the D974 until it meets the busy A6 you are looking directly at the vineyards of Chorey-les-Beaune on the northern side of the freeway.
The Chorey-les-Beaune appellation is one of the longest running in France having first been recognised in 1937. The appellation covers both still red wines (made from Pinot Noir with the allowable addition of up to 15% of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris and/or Pinot Blanc) and still white wines made from Chardonnay and/or Pinot Blanc.
Fanny has used 100% Chardonnay for this wine and it is rich and nutty with a long, lingering finish. A very desirable wine!
RRP: $81 (SOLD OUT)
You can read more about Fanny Sabre’s wines on her Instagram site here.
