Dehours & Fils Champagne - Grower Champagne Now Available
Dehours & Fils Champagne
Beautiful Grower Champagne Now Available
The passion that drives Domaine Dehours runs deeper than most. Founded in 1930 by Jérome's grandfather Ludovic in the small village of Cerseuil on the cooler south bank of the Marne river, the estate has been shaped by generations of dedication to the craft.
In 1996, Jérome and his brother-in-law Jean-Marc Laisne took full control of the domaine, defining a new era marked by unwavering commitment to excellence and an unconventional approach to champagne making.
Nothing at Champagne Dehours follows convention. While larger houses have long dismissed Pinot Meunier as a lesser variety, Jérome has made it the king of his domaine. He harnesses Meunier's natural characteristics—its nuttiness, richness, and texture—balancing each element to create some of the most distinctive champagnes available today.
NV Maisoncelle Extra Brut Champagne
Single vineyard. Predominantly Pinot Noir with some Pinot Meunier from a single parcel of land named Maisoncelle originally planted in 1973 and partially replanted in 2012. This Blanc de Noirs Champagne goes through full malolactic fermentation and is aged on lees in large barrels with an addition from a perpetual reserve dating back to 2013. This gourmet Champagne offers pureness and linearity.
$138.95 per bottle
2016 Le Millésime Champagne
This exceptional Champagne presents a bold blend of 35% Meunier and 65% Pinot Noir, with the Meunier sourced from the renowned sites of Port à Binson and Cerseuil, while the Pinot Noir hails from the prestigious Maisoncelle vineyard in Mareuil-le-Port. Following complete malolactic fermentation, the wine underwent fermentation and aging entirely in stainless steel, preserving the pure expression of fruit and terroir. Crafted with minimal intervention, this Champagne remains unfined and unfiltered, allowing its natural character to shine through. The remarkable 72-month aging on the lees develops extraordinary complexity and finesse, while an ultra-low dosage of just 1.1g/L creates an intensely dry, precise wine that showcases the raw beauty and authenticity of these exceptional vineyard sites.
$109.95 per bottle
NV La Côte Extra Brut Champagne
Old vine Meunier planted in 1979 on a gentle, north-facing slope. The clay soils have naturally leeched most of their limestone content over time, creating unique growing conditions that encourage low yields and concentrated fruit. Fermented with wild yeasts and aged in oak barrels on lees. The wine is clarified through natural settling without filtration or fining, preserving its authentic character.
"The NV Extra-Brut Perpetual Reserve Lieu Dit La Cote (2018 base) is one of the best wines in this series of lieu-dit perpetual reserve Champagnes. Rich, ample and layered, with tons of complexity, La Cote is striking in its beauty. Apricot, dried flowers, mint, pastry and butter take shape with a bit of aeration. Touches of new oak and reduction add layers of complexity, while bright acids and saline overtones pull it all together. No dosage. The balance here is superb. Disgorged: March, 2021."
- 94 Points, Vinous
$142.75 per bottle
NV Grande Reserve Champagne
This organic Champagne showcases the distinctive character of Meunier with a blend of 70% Meunier, 20% Chardonnay, and 10% Pinot Noir, sourced from premier vineyards in Mareuil-le-Port, Troissy, and Oeuilly. The cuvée marries 61% of the expressive 2020 vintage with 39% perpetual reserve wines dating back to 1998, creating remarkable depth and complexity. Following malolactic fermentation, the wine was carefully aged in stainless steel with nine months on lees before bottling, while the reserve component matured gracefully in large used oak barrels. After an extended 24-month aging period on the lees, this Champagne achieves perfect balance with a subtle dosage of just 5g/L, resulting in an elegant expression that honors both tradition and terroir.
"A creamy, softly effervescent Champagne, with pretty notes of apple blossoms and elderflower wafting through flavors of baked white cherry, dried raspberry, salted almond and candied blood orange peel. Shows peach skin texture, with a lightly plump, pleasing juiciness throughout that carries the flavors on the lingering finish. Pinot Meunier, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Disgorged September 2022. Drink now through 2028."
- 93 Points, Wine Spectator
$74.01 per bottle
“Dehours is increasingly becoming better known among Champagne aficionados as a source of mouth-filling, boldly-flavored and terroir-expressive wines.”
- Peter Liem
- Peter Liem
Dehours & Fils
Jérôme Dehours manages his family estate nestled in the heart of the Marne Valley, originally founded by his grandfather Ludovic in 1930. He farms over 40 different vineyards in three distinct villages to the southern side of the Marne River. Jérôme’s 14.5 hectares are split between the villages of Mareuil-la-Port, Oeuilly, Cerseuil and Troissy, in a quiet corner of the Marne. This area, commonly known as the Vallée de Flagot, is named for the small river which has carved out the broader winding valley Le Flagot which meets the Marne River.
The Vallée de Flagot offers many different exposures and is cooler than most other places in Champagne. Harvest for Jérôme is almost always 7-10 days later than the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims. Because of this climate, Pinot Meunier is the most widely planted variety here. Normally, Meunier has a shorter maturation cycle than either Pinot Noir or Chardonnay, but here, Meunier actually takes a bit longer to ripen in comparison to grapes planted elsewhere in Champagne. Pinot Meunier is the identity of Dehours & Fils, of the wines and makes up about 60% of the plantings, with 30% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir.
At Dehours & Fils harvest occurs at full ripeness and generally grapes are fermented in small stainless-steel vessels for blended cuvées and in wooden barrels of various sizes (200-300-500 liters) for single vineyard cuvées. Respect for the identity and the diversity of each terroir is essential. Propagated native yeasts are used for fermentation. In recent years, Jérôme has been allowing complete malolactic and completely avoiding filtration. The wines are naturally clarified, no fining, no filtration. In 2014 he did his first experiments without the addition of SO2 and was pleased with the results. Jérôme has been lowering the sulphur levels in all wines ever since.
Jérôme & the wines of Dehours & Fils are full of energy and life. His wines reflect his curiosity and excitement but also an uncommon precision which deepens as time goes by.
