From the atlas
Champagne Marc Hennequière
An independent Côte des Bar grower making Pinot Noir led Champagne across Brut and Brut Nature cuvées.
At A Glance
| Field | Detail |
| Region | Champagne, Côte des Bar |
| Producer type | Independent grower producer |
| Main grape varieties | Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier |
| Featured wine | Saints & Sinners Brut |
| Defining feature | Brut and Brut Nature cuvées with different grape compositions and cellar methods |
The Producer
Pinot Noir appears in every listed cuvée from Marc Hennequière. The independent grower works in the Côte des Bar and makes Champagne with Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier alongside it across the range.
Marc is described as a self taught winemaker and is a member of Vignerons Indépendants, the association for independent Champagne producers. The wines move between multi grape Brut cuvées, a 100% Pinot Noir Brut, and a Brut Nature made without dosage.
Place
Marc Hennequière belongs to the Côte des Bar wine region of Champagne. The regional address is paired with three grape varieties, each changing the fruit, body and balance of a sparkling wine. Brut and Brut Nature indicate different sweetness levels, while bottle fermentation creates the mousse associated with Champagne.
The Côte des Bar setting is expressed through a grower range rather than a single named vineyard. The bottles narrow the regional address through grape composition, cellar ageing and dosage.
Story
At 18, Marc Hennequière planted the first rows of vines in 1980. He developed as a self taught winemaker, building the Champagne operation from vineyard work rather than from a documented winemaking school.
The producer's independent grower status remains part of the working model. Marc Hennequière belongs to the professional association for independent Champagne producers, while the wines stay tied to his own cuvée decisions and vineyard base.
Vineyards And Cellar
Saints & Sinners is fermented in steel tank before its second fermentation in bottle, then spends 18 months on its lees. Lees are spent yeast cells, and their contact with the wine can soften the mousse and add bread, almond and fuller texture.
Cuvée Marie Nelly and Cuvée l'Obsidienne also spend 18 months in the cellar. Marie Nelly carries 10 g/L dosage, while l'Obsidienne carries 7 g/L. Dosage is the addition made after disgorgement, and its level changes the wine's final sweetness.
Prémices spends 6 months in French oak followed by 24 months in the cellar, with 0 g/L dosage. Oak allows slow oxygen contact and can add texture and woody character, while zero dosage leaves the wine without added sugar.
Wines
The range has four cuvées. Saints & Sinners Brut combines 70% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Meunier. Cuvée Marie Nelly Brut uses 75% Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier together, with 25% Chardonnay.
Cuvée l'Obsidienne Brut is made from 100% Pinot Noir. Prémices is a Brut Nature split equally between Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The bottles move from three grape varieties in one blend to single variety Pinot Noir and then to a zero dosage two grape cuvée.
In The Glass
Saints & Sinners is clearly fruit driven, with yellow apples and citrus alongside roasted bread and almond. Fine mousse carries a complex mouthfeel.
Cuvée Marie Nelly shows pale yellow colour with white gold reflections. White fruits, medlar, yellow fruits, plum and mirabelle appear on the nose. The attack is pleasant, with nice vinosity and fruit made crisp by Pinot Noir. Bubbles caress the mouth before a slight liquorice note closes the wine.
Cuvée l'Obsidienne has a light yellow robe with green glints, followed by white flowers and citrus. The palate is fresh and delicate, with an energetic finish.
Prémices shows a pale yellow shimmering robe, regular sparkling bubbles and a discreet floral nose. The palate is full, fleshy and fresh, with woody character, a round and energetic feel, and an acidulous blood orange finish.
A Bottle To Understand It
Pour Saints & Sinners Brut first. It brings Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier into one Brut cuvée, with Pinot Noir in the lead and the other two varieties in supporting roles.
The bottle sits before the narrower formats in the range. l'Obsidienne focuses on Pinot Noir alone, while Prémices changes both the cellar method and the dosage. Saints & Sinners keeps the three grape varieties together in a single bottle.
Anecdote
In 1988, Marc Hennequière met future wife Marie Nelly during grape picking in their vineyard. In 2000, the couple decided to try their hand at making Champagne together. The shared venture produced a range that includes Cuvée Marie Nelly, the cuvée carrying her name. The episode begins in the vineyard and ends on a bottle label.
Final Word
Marc Hennequière makes Côte des Bar Champagne with Pinot Noir at its centre, moving from Brut blends to a 100% Pinot Noir cuvée and a zero dosage Brut Nature. The cellar choices keep each bottle's style clearly marked.
Sources
- https://www.champagne-marc-hennequiere.com/en/
- https://www.hachette-vins.com/guide-vins/producteurs/49286/marc-hennequiere/
- https://vignerons-independants-champagne.com/fr/champagne-marc-hennequiere
- https://uncorkedwines.se/produkt/champagne-cuvee-saints-sinners/
- https://www.champagne-marc-hennequiere.com/en/boutique/cuvee-marie-nelly/
- https://www.champagne-marc-hennequiere.com/en/champagnes-classiques/cuvee-lobsidienne/
- https://www.champagne-marc-hennequiere.com/en/boutique/cuvee-premices/