Henriot

Independent family run estate for generations

The Henriot family originated in Lorraine; around 1640, they moved to Champagne, settled in Reims, and made their living by trading in textiles and wine. Their vineyard holdings gradually expanded over several generations. The “Champagne Henriot” house was founded in 1808 by Apolline Henriot, the niece of Abbé Godinot, who was a pioneer in viticulture at the time. Apolline sold wine both in France and abroad, and the house very quickly gained success at the royal courts, including the Royal Dutch court and Imperial and Royal court of Austria. She passed the business on to her grandson Ernest, and the family lineage has continued ever since. As a result of the phylloxera crisis at the end of the 19th century, many vineyards in Champagne suffered devastating damage. Émile Marget, Paul Anrio’s father-in-law, was one of the first to begin replanting vineyards using grafted saplings, and thanks to this, the house was able to continue its operations while other companies found themselves in dire straits. The modern era began in 1994, when Joseph Henriot left his executive position at Veuve Clicquot and once again took direct control of the family business. Since then, “Henriot” has remained an independent family-owned business. Alice Tétienne currently serves as cellar master (chef de cave). The Henriot family also owns the houses “Bouchard Père & Fils,” “William Fèvre,” and “Château de Poncié” in Burgundy and Chablis.

Grand Cru and Premier Cru

The sources of grapes for Henriot are concentrated in the two finest wine-growing regions of Champagne: Montagne de Reims, located to the north and east of Épernay, and the Côte des Blancs, situated to the south of Épernay. Most of the grapes are sourced from villages with Grand Cru and Premier Cru status, which is an exceptionally high proportion for this region, where many houses blend grapes from more extensive wine-growing areas. In 2014, the house acquired the "Les Aulnois" estate, located south of Épernay, totalling to roughly 35 hectares of vineyards under the Henriot families own control. The Les Aulnois estate currently serves as the house’s guest center, featuring well-maintained gardens and guest amenities. This estate is located near the grape-growing area in the Côte des Blancs.

Chalk, and what it does

Montagne de Reims and Côte des Blancs are situated on deep underground layers of chalk. Chalk has good water permeability, stores moisture in preparation for dry periods, and reflects light and heat onto the tree canopies. In the Côte des Blancs, it is precisely this soil that gives Chardonnay its characteristic firmness and slightly salty flavor. In the Montagne de Reims, it enhances the flavor of Pinot Noir, preventing the wine from becoming too heavy.

It is precisely this combination of a “cool northern climate” and “chalk” that serves as the foundation for creating the fresh, mineral-rich flavor profile characteristic of the entire Henriot wine range.

A Chardonnay house at heart

Henriot uses three grape varieties that have become Champagne classics, though Chardonnay plays the leading role.

• Chardonnay, which forms the basis of the blend, specifically from the Côte des Blancs
• Pinot Noir, primarily from the Montagne de Reims
• Meunier, its proportion varies depending on the cuvée, but it is generally used in relatively small quantities

The exact proportions of the blend vary depending on the cuvée and vintage; however, for eight generations, this house has continued to openly declare its commitment to the purity of Chardonnay.

Time, and reserve wines

At this winery, the winemaking process is described as a sequence of “gestures,” each of which is carefully thought out and builds upon the previous step. In practice, this means meticulous winemaking for each individual vineyard, extended aging on the lees in the underground cellars of the town of Reims, and extensive use of reserve wines to shape the flavor profiles of non-vintage cuvées.

The reserve wine library plays a central role in ensuring the consistent quality of Henriot's products. Aged wines are preserved and blended with wines from new vintages to impart depth and roundness to the flavor. This method is applied most meticulously in the “Perpetual Reserve,” where annual vintages are continuously added to the blend using the “solera” system, which incorporates vintages spanning several decades.

Aging vintage wines takes even longer. The top-tier "Cuvée 38" is released only in years when the House deems it worthy of its label, and it matures on its lees for many years before being released to the market.

The cuvées collection

Henriot's product lineup includes several cuvées, which they classify as their signature, exceptional and rare cuvées.  Among their signature cuvée is the “Brut Souverain,” which represents the house’s style in its non-vintage wine range, “Blanc de Blancs,” and non-vintage rosé. Their exceptional cuvées include the Millésime rosé, Millésime and as the pinnacle of the lineup, the “Cuvée des Enchanteleurs,” which is produced only in particularly exceptional vintages. In addition, there are rare wines stored in deep cellars and released to the market only occasionally. From this lineup, the following wines: - “Cuvée 38 La Réserve Perpétuelle Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Brut” (non-vintage) “Cuvée 38” is, in essence, a “perpetual reserve” sourced from a single tank (Cuvée 38). For several decades, Grand Cru Chardonnay has been added to this tank annually, blending it with previous vintages. This wine, made from 100% Chardonnay and 100% Grand Cru grapes, is the very embodiment of the Henriot house's philosophy regarding reserve wines. If you want to understand what Henriot means when it speaks of “time” as a “raw material,” then this bottle is the perfect choice for you.