If the earliest vines in Champagne can be traced as far back as the first century, then the Sacy family has certainly claimed their place in the region’s long and legendary history. With roots in Verzy dating back to 1633, the family’s estate has been passed down through thirteen generations, landing in the capable hands of sibling duo Yaël and Jonathan. The siblings took over the project in 2013 from their father, Alain Sacy, who inherited it from his father, André, the first generation of Sacy to produce Champagne on the family’s land beginning in the 1960s. The vineyard is centered in the Grand Cru region of Verzy, but spread across 27 distinct plots in 6 different villages. Covering a total of 18 hectares, the land is foremost dedicated to growing exquisite Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, with five percent allocated for Pinot Meunier, all from old vines that are, on average, over 30 years old. 

Though the history of the vineyard is crucial to the overall expression of the cuvées, Yaël & Jonathan Sacy’s modern approach to winemaking is informed by their multifaceted experiences living and working abroad before they returned home to take over production. Under their leadership, the vineyard has undergone significant changes to produce wines more naturally. Beginning in 2016, the siblings did away completely with herbicides, eventually converting all practices to being 100% organic. They rely on biodynamic farming and composting to help augment regional soils, while preserving the natural expressions of terroir. Grapes are grown on limestone imbued with clay or marl, giving the wines a focused minerality and salinity. Harvest occurs at peak ripeness to give the resulting cuvées a nice balance between sugar and acidity. Their mission: to respect their environment and capture terroir in the pursuit of making the best wine possible with minimum intervention.  

They carry this mission from the fields into the cellar.  Wines are pressed directly and transferred to stainless steel or large barrels where they undergo alcoholic fermentation and a long elevage. After several months the juice is bottled on the lees for a minimum of 2 years. Every wine from each distinct parcel and vintage is treated differently, although all wines are made according to a low intervention model with minimal or no S02 . Yaël and Jonathan’s only rule in production is that there are no rules. The idea is to capture one grape, one terroir and one year in each of their different cuvées, reacting to each wine differently throughout vinification. As each wine is made with intention, they are also made to be enjoyed. As the tradition of Champagne is one of savoring and celebrating, Yaël and Jonathan’s patient and purposeful approach to winemaking lends itself to a final product that perfectly captures the spirit of the region in which it is made.