Description
The 2019 Les Horées Beaune “Les Prévolles” is the definitive “identity wine” of Catharina Sadde’s inaugural vintage, capturing the elegance and precision of a winemaker who treats her vineyards like a private garden. Leveraging a meticulous 50% whole-cluster vinification, Sadde has produced a wine that thrives on purity, balancing a bouquet of wild berries, raw cocoa, and peonies with “powdery” tannins and a racy acidity.
Hailed by William Kelley as a “brilliant” and “penetrating” expression of Beaune, this 92-point red avoids the excessive heat of the 2019 vintage, offering instead a cool-fruited, vertical energy that highlights the structural “sap” of her biodynamically farmed vines. It is a sophisticated, intellectually stimulating Pinot Noir that has set a new standard for the village appellation.
Producer Profile
The Meteoric Rise of Catharina Sadde
Established in 2019, Domaine Les Horées has quickly become one of the most talked-about “cult” names in Burgundy.
Founded by German-born Catharina Sadde and her husband Guilhem, the estate is a rare example of a newcomer achieving instant international acclaim. Sadde’s background is atypical for a Burgundy producer; originally a trained chef in Michelin-starred restaurants, she transitioned to viticulture with a precision and intensity that is clearly reflected in her wines.
The Philosophy: Gastronomic Precision
Sadde’s background as a chef influences every stage of her production. She approaches her 1.3 hectares of vines with a focus on “intuitive winemaking” backed by scientific rigor (having studied at both Montpellier and Geisenheim).
- Biodynamics: The estate is farmed strictly according to biodynamic principles (non-certified). Sadde is known for being incredibly “hands-on,” often doing the dynamization of preparations herself.
- Minimal Intervention: Most cuvées are vinified without added sulfur until after malolactic fermentation, and bottled with only minimal doses to preserve the purity of the fruit.
- Texture over Power: A hallmark of Les Horées is the mouthfeel. Whether it’s her Aligoté or her Gevrey-Chambertin, there is a “silky, airy” quality that emphasizes aromatic lift over heavy extraction.
