Marcel Deheurles

The house of Marcel Deheurles & Fils works in Celles-sur-Ource in the Côte des Bar. The village lies in the Aube département. The family has been in winegrowing for three generations, handing the tradition down from father to son. The estate was founded in the 1970s and began making its own champagne at the start of the following decade. Today Benoît Deheurles runs the business.

Vineyard area and grape varieties

Benoît Deheurles farms a good 9 hectares of vines around Celles-sur-Ource. He grows Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Chardonnay and makes six cuvées from them. The vineyard is spread across five villages. The house describes itself as a Récoltant-Manipulant and says it works with great respect for nature and the environment. Organic certification is not documented.

Pinot Blanc is the house's particular speciality. It accounts for only about 80 hectares, or 0.2 per cent of Champagne.

The cuvées

• Céleste: a blanc de blancs from 100 per cent Pinot Blanc, with notes of pastry, white and yellow fruit and pineapple.
• Natur2014: a champagne with no dosage, made from 58 per cent Chardonnay and 42 per cent Pinot Noir. The house recommends it with oysters and seafood.
• Ebène & Sens: a pure Pinot Noir from the single plot “La Comme”. It comes from a solera in which the vintages 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016 come together.
• Millésime 2014: half Chardonnay, half Pinot Noir, after long ageing in the cellar.

The range also includes the Opale cuvées, a rosé d'assemblage and a Cuvée Prestige. The Guide Hachette singled out three of the house's cuvées in its selection.

Visits and tastings

Visits are by appointment only. The family also offers accommodation: the gîte La Craie has three rooms and space for 15 people. It is set in a former harvest house in the middle of the vineyard, on the Route touristique du Champagne. Contact: contact@champagne-deheurles.fr, telephone +33 3 25 38 55 06.