Marc Hébrart

Region: Vallée de la Marne
Premier Cru Sites: Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, Avenay, Val d’Or and Bisseuil
Grand Cru Sites: Aÿ, Avize, Chouilly, Oiry
Annual Production: 5,800 cases
Total Vineyard Holdings: 15 hectares
Vines: 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay

Marc Hébrart (MAREUIL-SUR-AY)

Jean-Paul Hébrart took over Marc Hébrart from his father in 1997. His father had been producing estate bottled wines since 1964 and joined the Club Trésors in 1985 Jean-Paul has slowly developed the estate in the last 20 years to one of the very finest grower estates in the Marne. The basis for these outstanding wines are the privileged holdings in Aÿ, including the newly purchased plots in Le Léon, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, and Dizy in the Grande Vallée as well as Avize, Oiry and Chouilly in the Côte and recently acquired vineyards in Louvois in the Montagne. Jean-Paul harvests, presses and vinifies each of his over 85 plots separately, blending sites to make harmonious wines which reflect the personality of the grower as well as the terroir. A majority of the wines are fermented in steel, though old used barrels have become a part of his program for Rive Gauche-Rive Droite and his new wine, Clos de Léon, both of which are fermented and aged in neutral barrique.

The Hébrart wines are truly of both place and person, the kind, welcoming and generous qualities that Jean-Paul Hébrart exudes can be seen in all of his Champagnes. And while he could easily rest on his laurels at this point, JP instead continues to expand his range, experimenting with lower dosage levels in his benchmark cuvées, and producing stunning Coteaux Champenoise from recently acquired, historic vineyards.

Peter Liem writes of Hébrart on Champgneguide.net: “Hébrart’s wines have a broad appeal: if you like to think about your wines, they’re intellectually engaging enough to satisfy you; on the other hand, if you’re just looking to drink, they’re simply delicious. The wines are full and generous without being weighty, complex and soil-driven without being demanding. Overall, the entire range is of consistently high quality, and represents excellent value for the money.”

“Undeniably, Mareuil should belong to the grand cru villages. Most of the vineyards reach almost the same quality as those of Aÿ. In their youth, what may distinguish a Mareuil wine from an Aÿ wine is a hawthorn-like flowery bouquet. On aging, the wines become practically impossible to tell apart.”
– Richard Juhlin, 4000 Champagnes