Dehours & Fils

Cerseuil lies halfway up the southern slopes of the Marne valley, west of Épernay. The Dehours family has lived here for four generations. The estate was founded in 1930 by Jérôme Dehours' grandfather, one of the first independent growers of his time. His father Robert was, in the 1970s, one of the pioneers of quality reserve wines.

A fresh start in 1996

In the 1980s Jérôme's father had built up a négociant business. In 1996 Jérôme Dehours gave this up and concentrated on the vineyard. Before that he had attended the viticultural schools in Beaune and Avize. He went on to build one of the first broad ranges of single-site champagnes from individual lieux-dits. This was so new that the CIVC had no rules for it.

Vineyards and way of working

Like Champagne as a whole, the estate is heavily fragmented. Around 14 hectares are spread over 42 parcels in Cerseuil, Mareuil-le-Port, Troissy and Oeuilly. Depending on the source, the total area is given as anywhere between 14 and 16 hectares. The soils are mainly clay-limestone and sandy limestone. The plantings are roughly 60 per cent Pinot Meunier, 30 per cent Chardonnay and 10 per cent Pinot Noir. Other merchants quote 70 per cent Meunier, 20 per cent Chardonnay and 10 per cent Pinot Noir. Meunier shapes the style of the house.

Jérôme Dehours farms the estate without pesticides or herbicides. Natural cover grows between the vine rows, and the soil is worked mechanically. Gault&Millau lists the estate with HVE3 certification. Three Coquard presses make it possible to press each parcel separately. The base wines are made in tank, the single-site wines in barrel.

The cuvées

The main cuvée is the Grande Réserve. It contains a substantial share of reserve wines drawn from a perpetual reserve begun in 1998. Alongside it come the single-site champagnes such as Maisoncelle, Brisefer and Les Rieux. Maisoncelle is one of the few parcels of the house planted with Pinot Noir. The range also includes the rosé Oeil de Perdrix and the red Coteaux Champenois La Croix Joly.

For visits and tastings, it is best to contact the estate directly at 2 Rue de la Chapelle in Cerseuil.