The facts first, it’s 75% PN from Mareuil, 25% Chard also from Mareuil. Old vines, massale selection. It’s from Marc Hébrart’s favorite parcels in Mareuil, and is intended as a tribute to its terroir. The parcels are Faubourg d’Enfer, Pruche, Cotes, Haute de Varille, Croix Blanches-Maladrie, Beauregard, Ramonette, Buisson Saint Loup, and Sente de Demoiselles.

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 it’s also somewhat inscrutable; it has some of the ‘malt’ of Aÿ, some Mirabelle confiture, an almost gingery spice, and top notes of chalk. This wine has great, gossamer opulence.