Marc Hébrart, Mes Favorites 1er Cru Brut, Vieilles Vignes, Champagne, France, NV

Overview of the Wine
Jean-Paul Hébrart took over the operations of Marc Hébrart Champagne in the Vallée de la Marne from his father Marc in 1997. This estate is not exactly new: Jean-Paul’s father has been producing champagne under the Marc Hébrart name since 1964 and has been a member of the Special Club since 1985. Hébrart farms 14 hectares of vines on 65 different sites in 6 villages: the 1er cru vineyards of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Avenay, Val d’Or and Bisseuil and the grand crus villages of Aÿ as well as Chouilly and Oiry in the Côte des Blancs. Each parcel is always vinified separately in glass lined stainless steel and ceramic tanks. He is slowly phasing out the ceramic as it is more difficult to control the temperature. Hébrart is also experimenting with barrel fermentation and indigenous yeast fermentation for some of his older vine parcels.

Grape / Blend
75% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay

Origin
Vieilles Vignes, Champagne, France

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
It has a truly noble PN fragrance, leading to an utter masterpiece of weightless concentration, as huge and yet as penetrable as a cumulous cloud. Mareuil is clearly great but it’s also somewhat inscrutable; it has some of the malt of Aÿ, some mirabelle confiture, an almost gingery spice and top notes of chalk. This wine has great, gossamer opulence.

93 Points - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The NV Brut Premier Cru Mes Favorites Vieilles Vignes is a new cuvée for Hébrart that's well worth seeking out, derived from superior, south-facing sites in Mareuil-sur-Ay that also inform his Special Club bottling. The inaugural released, based on the 2014 vintage, is showing very well, wafting from the glass with aromas of apples, pears, tangerine, white flowers, spice and pastry cream. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, concentrated and nicely structured, with good cut and dry extract, as well as all the charm that defines the house style.

Product size: 750ml