Hebrart Mes Favorites Vieilles Vignes Brut Nv Champagne

Features

Description

Sourced from Favorites plots of Old Vines, delivering fantastic complexity. 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 its also somewhat inscrutable; it has some of the malt of A*, some mirabelle confiture, an almost gingery spice and top notes of chalk.

This wine has great, gossamer opulence. Jean-Paul H*brart took over the operations of Marc H*brart Champagne in the Vall*e de la Marne from his father Marc in 1997. This estate is not exactly new: Jean-Pauls father has been producing champagne under the Marc H*brart name since 1964 and has been a member of the Special Club since 1985.

H*brart farms 14 hectares of vines on 65 different sites in 6 villages: the 1er cru vineyards of Mareuil-sur-A*, Avenay, Val dOr and Bisseuil and the grand crus villages of A* as well as Chouilly and Oiry in the C*te 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. H*brart is also experimenting barrel fermentation and indigenous yeast fermentation for some of his older vine parcels. Using these new techniques Jean-Paul has made an alternative T*te de Cuvee (2004 vintage dated) called Rive Gauche-Rive Droite, named for the sites on both sides of the Marne that comprise of the blend.

These old vine parcels are fermented and aged in 205 liter four year old barrique (without battonage) before being bottled sur latt*. Jean-Paul hand selects grapes, uses a Bucher press, and is experimenting with fermentation in petite cuvee. H*brart doesnt block malolactic fermentation and does all remuage by hand.

Peter Liem writes of Champagne H*brart on Champgneguide.net:H*brarts wines have a broad appeal: if you like to think about your wines, theyre intellectually engaging enough to satisfy you; on the other hand, if youre just looking to drink, theyre 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. Bottle Size: 750ml Alc: 12,5%