Peter Liem: Eugène Savès began estate-bottling champagne in 1910, and was succeeded by his son Louis and grandson Camille. Today it’s Camille’s son, Hervé Savès, who is in charge of the estate.
One of the hallmarks of Savès’s wine is the absence of malolactic. “We block the malolactic in order to conserve the freshness and acidity of the wine,” says Savès. Due to this, the wines are aged on their lees for a relatively long time before release—the Carte d’Or, for example, is still based on the 2002 vintage, while the current vintage release is the 2000. “It’s my concern, not the customer’s,” says Savès, regarding the release of the wines. “When the bottles leave my cellar, they’re ready to drink.”
Savès owns six hectares in the grand cru of Bouzy, with the rest of his holdings in adjacent villages: two hectares in Ambonnay, one in Tours-sur-Marne and one in the 99-percent-rated premier cru of Tauxières. The grapes are pressed with a Bucher pneumatic press, and only the cuvée, or first pressing of the grapes, is used, with the second pressing (the taille) sold off. For fermentation, Savès prefers enameled steel tanks to stainless steel, as he believes that the latter is too inert. He thinks the ideal fermentation is in large, oak foudres, as this permits a subtle exchange of oxygen, but enameled steel is a good compromise as it’s less inert than stainless and easier to take care of than wood. In contrast, he stores his reserve wines in stainless steel, as its inert nature allows for better preservation of freshness.
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Camille Saves Champagne Carte d'Or Grand Cru NV
RP93, ST91
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Camille Saves Champagne Extra Brut Grand Cru NV
RP93, ST91
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Camille Saves Champagne Cuvee Prestige Grand Cru NV
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Camille Saves Champagne Millesime 2007 Grand Cru
RP92
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Camille Saves Champagne Cuvee Anais 2008 Grand Cru
