Hegarty Chamans

Hegarty Chamans is a vineyard that sits in the south facing foothills of the Montagne Noire in the Minervois region of the Languedoc.

Isolated from other vineyards, Hegarty Chamans can pursue their own non-interventionist farming philosophy, based on organic and biodynamic principles. The estate has been certified by Demeter and EcoCert since 2010.

The use of machines at Hegarty Chamans is minimal to avoid any detrimental effects of manipulating the soil. Olive trees, lavender, beehives, and a small flock of sheep are kept surrounding the vineyard to bring rich biodiversity. When the vineyard is dormant, the estate allows natural weeds to grow between the vines, which provides natural fertiliser. Land is worked by horse and fertilized by the flock of sheep belonging to the domaine. All the vines are harvested by-hand and the wines are vinified, varietal by varietal, in French oak barrels, foudres, and concrete tanks with minimal use of sulphur.

The estate notes that, “Our symbol, the black sheep, is there to remind us the Languedoc is a region that offers the opportunity to make exciting wines if you don’t follow the crowd.”

Hegarty Chamans is owned by Sir John Hegarty, chairman of the famous advertising company Bartle Bogle Hegarty, and his New Zealand partner, Philipa Crane. The team is composed of Jessica Servet, Winemaker and General Manager; Olivier Merieux, Consultant Oenologist; and Vincent Masson, Biodynamic Consultant.