Henriot Champagne was officially founded in 1808 under Apolline Henriot. She was the niece of the very famous Abbé Godinot, an erudite man who contributed to improvements in viticulture and the making of the Champagne wine. Apolline, an enterprising woman of great character, sold her wines both in France and became a huge success with royalty and Champagne Henriot became the favourite firstly at the Dutch court, then in Austria and Hungary. She passed on her savoir-faire to her grandson, Ernest and there the Henriot family tradition was born. From generation to generation, the House of Henriot has devoted all its talent to creating the most superb wines from grapes carefully selected from the great terroirs on the Montagne de Reims and the Côte des Blancs.

Apolline Henriot believed Chardonnay to be a light with multiple intensities that she wanted to show to the world. When Paul Henriot, 3rd generation of the family, married Marie Marguet in 1880, owner of vines in the Côte des Blancs, Apolline’s desire for Chardonnay is fulfilled, twenty years after her passing. In order to pay tribute to this new vineyard for Maison Henriot, the family started to craft a champagne made exclusively from the lands planted with Chardonnay.

Weather in 2008: After a rainy but mild winter without any prolonged cold spells, spring arrived with some very localised frosts. Cool weather returned in June and the infrequent sunshine prolonged the feeling of freshness. The spring to autumn weather was bright with sunny spells and the long, hot days and cool nights during September gave the grapes excellent acidity during the harvest period. The 2008 vintage is fast emerging as one of the best since the renowned and now-legendary 2002.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand & Premier Cru | 12 Crus from all key Chardonnay regions from Côte des Blancs to Trepail, Sézanne, Vitryat and Montgueux
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Reserve wines: 30 % 50 % from their perpetual reserve
Disgorged: October 2019
Base vintage: 2008
Lees Ageing: 10 years
Dosage: 8 g/l
Drink: Now for 5+ years

Tasting Note: A great generosity characterizes this champagne. The diversity of wines selected in the blend offers an ample aromatic range in which exoticism and exuberance are balanced by elegance and finesse. Multiple aromas intertwine bringing great complexity from flambé pineapple and fresh citrus fruit notes to wet chalk and subtle pastry aromas. On the palate, this champagne has an incredible velvety texture accompanied by an extraordinary freshness.”

In 1640, the Henriot family settles in Champagne and begins developing their cloth before quickly adding wine to their family activities. After acquiring land to plant vines, the family gains knowledge about viticulture and becomes experts on their Terroirs.

The treatise "Manière de cultiver la vigne et de faire le vin en Champagne" published in 1718, attributed to Canon Godinot, was a source of inspiration for Apolline Henriot, founder of the Maison Henriot, whose great-uncle he is.

In 1808, Apolline Henriot, young widow of Nicolas Henriot, founds Maison Henriot. Owner of a vineyard in the heart of the Montagne de Reims, Apolline has a deep love for the Champagne region, the beauty of its vines and its landscapes. This is how her desire « To to shed light on her lands through a Champagne » was born. She then founded the House and created the first Henriot cuvée, now known as Henriot Brut Souverain.

In 1880, Apolline Henriot’s great grandson, Paul Henriot, married a young woman from the Côte des Blancs, Marie Marguet. This marriage gave way to a real transition of the Maison Henriot’s vineyards. Initially composed exclusively of three crus from the Montagne de Reims planted with Pinot Noir, three crus planted with Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs were added: Avize, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Chouilly.

Many members of the line of Apolline Henriot, founder of Maison Henriot, trained as agricultural engineers, have contributed to developing the expertise and strengthening the care given to the vines. In 1920, the family carried out many soil analysis. Maison Henriot therefore launched a soil knowledge project at that time.

In the early 1970s, Joseph Henriot, 7th generation of the Henriot family, decided to enhance the library wines collection of Maison Henriot, which had been initiated by Apolline Henriot more than two centuries earlier, when she founded the House.

Cellar Master: Alice Tetienne
Winery Location: Reims | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Reims
Annual Production (bottles): 1,000,000