José Dhondt is a name synonymous with the finesse and elegance of Champagne. The Domaine dates back to Charles Dhondt, who immigrated from Belgium in 1924. His grandson José succeeded to the healm in 1976 and was among the first vignerons champenois to break through and make wines under his own name. Sadly, José recently passed away and has now been succeeded by his daughter Marie Dhondt, who has been working alongside her father for years.
The Domaine comprises 5 hectares of prime vineyards in the renowned terroirs of Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. These Grand Cru villages, situated in the heart of the Côte des Blancs, are celebrated for producing some of the finest Chardonnay grapes in the world. The terroir of Oger and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is distinguished by its particularly pure limestone and deep chalk subsoil. This chalk not only provides excellent drainage but also acts as a natural reservoir, maintaining soil moisture during dry periods and releasing it during wet periods. This unique ability to regulate moisture levels contributes to the consistency and high quality of the grapes produced.
The domaine is farmed according to the precepts of lutte raisonée, a system of vine cultivation that is essentially organic and non-interventionist. Dhondt practices meticulous debudding to control yields and concentrate the flavors in the remaining grapes. This process involves removing excess buds early in the growing season to reduce the number of clusters and increase the quality of the fruit. Dhondt also employs grass growth management and composting with bark between the rows, which practices help maintain soil health, prevent erosion, and enhance the biodiversity of the vineyard.
After meticulous sorting, Dhondt gently presses the fruit of each segregated parcel in a traditional Coquard vertical press and, following a débourbage of 12-24 hours, decants the must into small (25hl, 58hl, 82hl) thermo-regulated stainless steel vessels for a 3 week controlled fermentation over selected CIVC yeasts. .To avoid excess oxidation, there is but one one retrousse (breaking up of the press cake between cycles) followed by malolactic fermentation, also in stainless steel. After malolactic fermentation, the wines continue to age on the lees (dead yeast cells) in these stainless tanks, which adds complexity and depth to the wines without the need for, or taste of oak. Dhondt doses with traditional liqueur.
