Sacy grapes

by Michael Bredahl | Nov 11, 2016

Sacy is a variety of grape producing white wine. It ripens early and makes wines of light color which are low in alcohol and acid.

Sacy produces white wines which are frisky and tart.

Origin and History of Sacy

This vine variety is believed to be originated in Italy, where it is assumed to be imported to Burgundy by the monks living in the Reigny Abbey during the thirteenth century. But now it is thought that the grape variety was born in the northern France or in Burgundy.

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A village in Champagne brought up the name Sacy whereas the name Tressallier is contracted from Alligerim meaning “beyond Allier”, because it was earlier cultivated on the Allier River.

The productivity and high yields of the vine has made it a famous plant which soon resulted in the overproduction in the surrounding areas. The Parliaments of Vermonton and Besancon banned any further plantings in 1732.

The production of the grape continued in the Yonne department. Here it was utilized as a blending element in Aligote and Chardonnay and wines from Auxerrois like Cremant de Bourgogne.

The grape is authorized for use in the region of Saint Pourcain which is situated right in the central part of France.

Genetic Parentage

DNA analysis has revealed that Sacy is a hybrid formed between Gouais Blanc and Pinot. The DNA analysis does not permit the recognition of the variety of Pinot (like Pinot Gris or Pinot Noir) which is the parent.

Sacy is among the large no. of grape varieties in France, which shares this parentage. This conclusion questions the previous assumption that the origin of the grape variety would be in Italy; anyhow it does not exclude it completely.

Regions Where it is Grown

Sacy is primarily cultivated in the northeastern and central France within the Allier and Yonne departments. The grape is called Tresallier in the Auvern region and the Rhone Valley.

It is often used as a blending partner with Sauvignon Blanc to produce a tart white wine. In the present day, only one French appellation involves Sacy for its blend which is the Saint Pourcain present in the Upper portion of the Loire valley.

The blending of Chardonnay and Sacy is mandatory in Saint Pourcain and sometimes Sauvignon blanc may also be used in blending. Though this grape variety was prevalent several years ago, its plantations have declined sharply to just 12 hectares in 2008 reduced from 655 in 1958.

Synonyms

Sacy is called up by several synonyms like: Blanc de Pays, Aligote vert, Blanc Moulin, Fairene, Blanc vert, Farie, Ferne, Farnier blanc, Fernet, Gros blanc, Ferney, Peut blanc, Plant de Sacy, Souche, Terzari, Plant d’Essert, Pivoine, Menu blanc, Sassy, Tres Sailier, Trezali, Tressalier, Trezari, Tressallier, Trezailhi, Trezaguier, Tresalier, Tresallier and Weissklemmer.

Vinification

The grape bunches are selected and de-stemmed. Then a cold maceration at 4 degrees is carried out along with pre-fermentation in tanks of stainless steel. 85% is fermented and kept in steel tanks, with 15% fermented and kept in oak barrels.

After this, the tangential filtering is done, in which the wine goes through the ceramic filters, therefore preventing pumping which shakes up the wine. Final blending is carried out in the month of January.

Characteristics of Grape

The berries and grape clusters of this variety are small. Sacy is especially used for making base wine for the sparkling wines. This vine variety can moreover be used to make still wines full of character.

The grape produces wines with aromatic bouquet with citrus, floral and mineral notes which is well-balanced and fresh with a long finish.

Characteristics of Wine

The wine is lemon gold colored when poured out in the glass. One can observe the aroma of lime peel and pears. The wine is medium bodied on the palate with quite high acidity.

The flavors of white peach, tart and waxy lemon-lime are very conspicuous along with the stony minerality at the end. The wine produced from Sacy grapes have lower amount of alcohol i.e. 12-12.5%.

Food Pairings with Wine

This white wine can be enjoyed with some great food items such as som tum (green papaya salad), asparagus feuilletes, nuts, cheese and white fruits.

Author

Michael Bredahl

Wine Writer

Michael is an online enthusiast, with a lot of knowledge about online marketing. Traveling around the world to hunt for the perfect wine. Latest on Sicily, where Etna has a huge impact on the taste, which is strong with a bitter aftertaste for the youngest wines, but older wines are fantastic. Drinking wine, and writing about them, are one the passions. Remember to drink responsibly 🙂

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