A gastronomy student from Dresden, Germany, Catharina Sadde discovered an interest in wine while working in restaurants. After working internships at Schafer-Frohlich and Burgundy-based Domaine Chevrot, the future was clear: making wine—and specifically doing so in Burgundy—was where her heart was calling her.
Catharina returned to Burgundy and pursued a degree in viticulture—and while doing so, landed gigs at Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, Marquis d’Angerville, and other esteemed regional estates. The thread that tied all of the domaines together? Biodynamic farming was ultimately how Catharina knew she wanted to farm her own plots one day. She and her French husband, Guilhem, bit by bit, began acquiring small plots around Burgundy. Once they’d surpassed the one-hectare mark, the pair decided to take the plunge and create their own domaine, Les Horées, which pays homage to the feast celebrated in honor of the changing seasons (in Greek mythology, the seasons are called ‘Horae’).
Today, Catharina and Guilhem own 1.3 hectares of vines, though additional fruit is purchased to create their lineup of cuvées, which are produced from Aligoté, Gamay, and Pinot Noir. In the cellar, all wines are fermented with native yeasts (whole clusters included for reds) and are aged for about one year in barrel. Wines crafted from the couple’s parcels are vinified without added sulfur.
Despite an incredibly difficult first vintage in 2019, which resulted in an extremely small amount of fruit, Catharina was able to make impeccable wines that have since garnered her much-deserved fame across the industry. These crystalline, extremely pure wines are the definition of terroir focused, and continue to make us even more excited about what the new generation of Burgundy holds.
