At A Glance
- Field
- Detail
- Region
- Champagne
- Founded
- 1808
- Family ownership
- Since 1994
- Managing Director
- Guillaume Deglise
- Signature cuvée
- Brut Souverain
- Production philosophy
- Generosity, elegance and distinction
The Producer
Apolline Henriot, widow of Nicolas Simon Henriot, founded Champagne Henriot in 1808. The house has remained under family ownership since Joseph Henriot left Veuve Clicquot in 1994 to manage the Henriot estate. Guillaume Deglise is the current Managing Director.
The production philosophy centres on Champagnes that reflect generosity, elegance and distinction. The range includes Brut Souverain, Henriot Millésimé Brut 2015 and Henriot Cuvée Hemera 2013.
Place
Les Aulnois is a property south of Épernay that Champagne Henriot acquired in 2014. The house also uses named Champagne crus in Cuvée Hemera 2013. In Champagne, a cru identifies a named growing area, giving a cuvée a more specific geographic vocabulary than the regional appellation alone.
Wines
Brut Souverain is the house's signature cuvée. Henriot Millésimé Brut 2015 is a vintage Champagne made from 53% Pinot Noir and 47% Chardonnay, aged for at least nine years on lees before disgorgement. Lees are spent yeast cells, and extended contact can add bread and pastry notes while giving the wine a fuller texture.
Henriot Cuvée Hemera 2013 occupies the special cuvée position in the range. It was disgorged with a dosage of 3.5 grams per litre. Dosage is the addition made after disgorgement, and the figure records the amount used to finish the bottle.
In The Glass
Henriot Millésimé Brut 2015 shows yellow apples, toasted bread, mineral notes, pineapple, French nougat and grapefruit.
Cuvée Hemera 2013 brings blanched almonds, pastry, fresh bread, lemon oil and ripe orchard fruits. Its palate is straight, with bright acids leading to an ethereal, saline finish.
A Bottle To Understand It
Cuvée Hemera 2013 is the first bottle to open. It brings six founding crus of the house into one cuvée: Avize, Chouilly, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Mailly-Champagne, Verzenay and Verzy. The wine combines Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, placing named vineyard origins and the house's core grape pairing in the same bottle.
Final Word
Champagne Henriot's range has a house signature, a vintage Champagne and a special cuvée, all shaped by the house's family history and named vineyard sources.