Champagne Dehours

A short history of the estate

Nestled not far from the commune of Cerseuil, at the intersection of the Marne Valley and the Flagot Valley. Continue 15 kilometers from Épernay on the left bank of the river, and you will inevitably come across one of the 42 parcels of land, divided among the crus of Mareuil le Port, Oeuilly and Troissy, which make up the estate.
Champagne Dehours is above all the story of a man of character and his ancestors. When his father died, the family estate fell into the hands of financiers during the inheritance. Unthinkable for the youngest members of the family, Jérôme and his brother-in-law Jean-Marc Laisné decided to buy back the family estate. At the beginning, there was not really room for a Champagne Dehours: almost all the harvests were destined to be sold to the big houses.
But as time goes by, the emancipation comes and Jérôme and Jean-Marc start to express their "winegrower's touch". This is the rebirth of Champagne Dehours.

A story of soil and man

The Marne Valley is the kingdom of Pinot Meunier, a grape variety full of character whose red skin is covered with a white powdery film not unlike that of miller's flour. The sand and clay soils on limestone layers as well as the sunshine and the gentle slope of the hillsides make it its favorite terroir. The vineyard, planted with the three Champagne grape varieties, is certified High Environmental Value (level 3) and conducted in integrated agriculture: natural grassing to fight against erosion, no herbicide, natural fight against diseases etc. But it is indeed the man and his work that are at the heart of the approach, both in the vineyard and in the winery.

Minimal intervention in the winery for maximum intensity in the glass

The harvest is a particularly important time: the ripeness of the grapes and their sugar content must be optimal because human intervention in the winery is reduced to the bare minimum. The idea is to let the terroir express itself as well as possible.
In Champagne, the wines are made in two stages. First, a work on clear wines, without bubbles. Domaine Dehours was one of the first in the region to elaborate parcel cuvées, from the terroirs with the most assertive character : Brisefer, Les Genevraux, or La Croix Joly. For these vintages, it is fermentation and maturation in oak barrels before the second fermentation. The other wines are aged in stainless steel tanks and all are aged on lees. The beauty of time is also expressed since the reserve wines are aged in solera.
Then, the magic happens during the second fermentation in the bottle : the bubbles appear, the wine becomes Champagne. The Dehours champagne cuvées are all dosed in Extra-Brut or Brut, that is to say that their sugar level tends to be reduced according to the cuvées in order to best reveal the aromas of the grapes.
The signature of Dehours champagnes is therefore based on character and intensity, with a strong mark of the terroir. They will therefore accompany all types of dishes during the meal. Of course, a festive aperitif remains the sacred place of Champagne, and Dehours champagnes will also fit in very well !

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