Benoît Déhu
Fossoy ~ Vallée de la Marne
Overtime, those of us who love wine will have a few “A-Ha” bottles that will always be remembered. The most memorable are those that change the direction of one’s wine journey. Benoît Dehu’s Rue des Noyers wines definitely fall into this category.
The Discovery
We first discovered Benoît Dehu’s wines at one of our favorite wine shops, Monarch Wine Merchants, in Charleston, S.C. There are several characteristics a favorite wine shop must have: First, selection - there must be interesting wines to purchase; Second, ease - purchasing must be easy especially if the shop is not located where you live; and Third, knowledge - they must get to know your preferences and make suggestions that are almost always on point. Monarch has all of this and more. Justin, owner, is one of the best with whom to work. He seeks out small production wines and often purchases the entire allocation for the city, if not the state. Based on our preferences and buying history he makes fantastic recommendations. At this particular time, however, I had just begun my Champagne Master Level course and was seeking out sparkling champagne that coincided with my studies. We gathered a great selection of wine to take home but decided to leave the Rue des Noyers Coteaux Champenois Rouge behind. We had enjoyed a few bottles of coteaux in the past but weren’t in the market for those wines on this trip. However, we quickly had “non-buyers’ remorse” and regretted that decision. Over breakfast the next morning we sent Justin a text (a great example of ease) asking him to hold two bottles for us when the shop opened and we would be there as soon as possible. Wow, what a great decision this turned out to be. Our love of Champagne was now doubled. This wine became, and still is, one of our favorite red wines. It led us to seeking out more Coteaux Champenois champagnes - both those available in the US and those only available in the region. In fact, because of this bottle, on our last trip we brought home almost equal amounts of sparkling and still wines from Champagne.
The discovery didn’t stop there, however. As a researcher, I spend a great deal of time reading articles, tech sheets, producer and importer websites, etc. I learned there was a third wine from Dehu’s Rue des Noyers collection and that Rue des Noyers is the name of the vineyard of Pinot Meunier from where all three wines come. Not only is there the sparkling champagne and the coteaux rouge, but there is a coteaux blanc. A white still wine made from 100% Pinot Meunier grapes. I had to have it so instantly I called Justin. He didn’t have it. He had never heard of it. He asked the importer and they did not have it nor did they know of this wine. So, in my usual way, I considered this a challenge I must accept. I dug and dug for this wine on the internet and it truly only seemed to exist in a handful of articles. None was to be found on Wine Searcher or in any of my usual retail shops around the country. This meant, I must go to the winery.
The Visit
This was not an easy appointment to get. Planning itineraries and securing appointments with producers is one of my strengths. At this point we have traveled enough to know how this works. But there is no contact info for Benoît Dehu online. There is a contact for the larger Dehu house, but that path was unsuccessful. Justin asked the importer to help us, but that also proved unsuccessful. I reached out to several friends in the industry and in the champagne regions, again to no avail. Finally, I decided it was time to use the student forum in my Champagne Master level course. Students in course are all over the world and work in various aspects of wine. Within 24 hours I had a connection. However, I had to answer a few questions before they would connect me with Benoît. We passed the test and Benoît emailed us agreeing to meet on Saturday morning on our way to the airport. I could not have been more excited!
We arrived in this beautiful little village across the road from vineyard upon vineyard. Benoît was walking down to meet us and I instantly became nervous. This visit was a highlight of our trip and I hoped we left with as much excitement as we had upon arrival. He could not have been more gracious. We spent a wonderful couple of hours exploring his winery, the barrel room, the cellar, and of course tasting his wines. He opened five of his wines for us to taste together, some we had not yet heard about but that are now carefully put away in one of our aging closets. The excitement I had upon confirmation of the appointment was only increased by the time we left and has stayed with me since. This is one of our most memorable visits.
The Wines
Benoît vinifies his wines in oak barrels and uses very little if any dosage. He practices organic and/or biodynamic farming and many of the barrels he uses are created from the trees found in the forests surrounding Fossoy, Benoît’s hometown and location of his vineyards and winery. His grapes are harvested by hand and farming is carried out with the assistance of a horse, Violette, with whom he has worked for many years.
Initiation - A blend of Pinot Meunier (78%) from La Rue des Noyers vineyard and Pinot Noir (22%) from L’Orme. Initiation is Benoît Dehu’s “BNV” blend that compliments his other single vineyard wines.
La Rue des Noyers - This vineyard is named for the Walnut Trees (Noyers) lining the area. Dehu creates three wines from this single vineyard, all 100% Pinot Meunier, in three very different styles: Champagne, Coteaux Blanc, Coteaux Rouge. While the Champagne and the Coteaux Rouge can be found in some US markets, we consider the Coteaux Blanc to be a “Unicorn Wine.” Don’t miss the opportunity to purchase this bottle if you can find one (occasionally one does become available on Wine-Searcher). It is one of the most highly acidic wines we’ve had, which is a huge compliment in our world. We would drink this wine everyday if possible! (I’ve also seen mention of a saignée rose in this collection but have not had the opportunity to taste - even at the winery.)
L’Orme - The newest addition to the Benoît Dehu lineup, l’Orme is also a Pinot Noir vineyard named for the Elm trees in the area. Currently, Benoît produces a single-vineyard Pinot Noir champagne from this site.
