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.

Weather: The 2012 weather has been hallmarked by many as very challenging but has created some stunning Champagne. Relatively low yields due to various weather conditions throughout the year. The winter months brought some frosts and hail which damaged the early stages of bud burst. August and September were very warm and this helped rescue and give the grapes a stunning maturity.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand & Premier Cru | From 6 crus including Trépail, Mailly-Champagne, Verzenay, Avenay in Montagne de Reims, Avize, Chouilly in Côte des Blancs
Grape Varieties: 54% Chardonnay, 46% Pinot Noir
Lees Ageing: 8 years
Disgorged: 2021
Dosage: 6 g/l
Drink: Now for 8+ years

Tasting Note: This wine impresses with the 2012 charms of bright yet super intense fruit and lovely energetic vibrancy. The style is decadently generous with delicious creme brulee and toast complexity alongside heaps and heaps of ripe white and exotic fruit. On the palate it is age-mellowed yet it ends on a pure, dry, saline and spicy note. Drinking beautifully already. - Tasting note by Essi Avellan MW | October 2020

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