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.

The Brut Souverain is the most historical cuvée of the House as the first cuvée produced by Apolline Henriot in 1808. She aspired to put the light on her vineyards through the expression of a champagne. According to Apolline, one year was not enough to tell the story of the terroirs, so she decided to put wines in reserve each year to incorporate them into a future blend. Therefore, she founded the House by creating a Champagne that would have blending as its fundamental principle.

This cuvée was named Brut Souverain by Ernest Henriot, Apolline's grandson, when the House was appointed the official champagne supplier to the Courts of the King of Holland and of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary.

Weather: 2015 is remembered for its classic growth cycle. The particularly mild winter gave way to a varied spring with a period of freezing temperatures followed by intense heat. The vines reached full bloom at the usual times, during a sunny and dry month of June. It was a glorious summer with plenty of sunshine and little rain. The ripening of the Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays was given a boost at the end of August by some long-awaited rainfall. The crops were harvested in mid-September under the cool autumnal skies, giving rise to elegant, fresh and fruity wines, worthy of labelling as true “classics”.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand & Premier Cru | From more than 25 Crus including Mesnil sur Oger, Oger, Avize, Cramant, Chouilly, Aÿ, Verzy, Verzenay, Beaumont, Sillery, Mailly Champagne.
Grape Varieties: 50% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay, 10% Meunier
Reserve Wines: 40% - 50% Including their perpetual reserve
Base vintage: 2015
Lees Ageing: 4 years
Disgorged: 2020
Dosage: 8 g/l
Drink: Now for 8+ years

Tasting Note: Straw-gold, bright and clear in appearance. On the nose, the Champagne offers magnificent, vivacious character. Citrus fruit aromas are followed by a cavalcade of floral bouquets, elderberry and vine blossom. Delicious brioche notes and the simplicity of lightly toasted bread and roasted almonds. Well balanced and harmonious on the palate, summoning flavours of brioche, together with crunchy cherries and the sun-kissed blush of white peach. Clean on the finish, with all the freshness of just-picked walnuts.

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