The 2018 rendition of Marc Hebrart 's Special Club has just been released, and for many years it's been one of our favorite bottlings of this exclusive group of Champagne producers. Marc Hebrart has been a member of the Club Trésors de Champagne or Special Club since 1985 and has continued their presence among the select producers in the club after Marc's son Jean-Paul assumed control. The blend here is 55% pinot and 45% Chardonnay from the villages of Mareuil-sur-Aÿ 1er Cru (65%), Aÿ Grand Cru (25%), Oiry Grand Cru (5%), and Couilly Grand Cru (5%). Champagne expert Richard Juhlin states that Mareuil-Sur-Aÿ should be a Grand Cru village, and compared to the Champagnes of Ay, they are almost indistinguishable. The 2018 vintage is shaping up to be great, producing Champagnes with incredible density and freshness, which should age quite well. The vintage was quite perfect and was fairly abundant compared to the 2017s. The Marc Herbrart Special Club is made to be an intense, powerful, dense, and concentrated Champagne, with superb balance and complexity that seems to like a few years in the bottle before being opened. Another fabulous example from Marc Hebrart and an early shot at this new release at what should be US low pricing.