Burgundy, France

Catharina Sadde’s confidence is obvious from the moment you meet her. There’s a directness in her tone that is not overly familiar, but rather warm and brimming with convivial energy. Having grown up in Dresden, Germany, her journey into wine was through gastronomy. After studying as a chef, she made the transition, working harvests in both Côte de Nuits and Côte de Beaune (with notable stages at Comte Armand and Domaine de la Romanee- Conti). It was in Burgundy where she met her husband and put down roots, where she now produces her wines out of a cellar in Pommard. In 2019, she began her own independent journey, and produced her first solo vintage with a total of 7000 bottles.

Gamay and Aligoté in Burgundy is often looked down upon, however it is hugely underrated. As a new producer, Catharina makes wines from both her own fruit, as well as vineyard plots that she buys from négoce-style, where Gamay and Aligoté are often the only varieties that are available to her. However, these vineyards often tend to be old vine parcels with immense potential. The plan is to slowly reduce the fruit she buys in until she is working exclusively with vineyards that she has farmed herself. Being a fan of Aligoté, her aim is to work more with the variety from sites in the north of Burgundy and bring out more of its character through the use of skin-contact, as she is already doing. Most of her wines are already sulphur free, something she wants to maintain.

Catharina now wants to unlearn everything that she has been taught and approach her winemaking more intuitively. Her wines have two sides to them. On one hand, approachability, in the shape of the Aligoté and Coteaux Mon Poulain cuvées, and on the other, seriousness and focus, in her appellation Pinot Noirs. These, we believe, will only get better and better in time.