Maison Henriot

At A Glance

Field: Detail
Region: Champagne
Main grapes: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Vintage cuvée: Cuvée Hemera
Defining feature: Sourcing from mostly Grand and Premier Cru vineyards

The Producer

Cellar master Laurent Fresnet works with Champagne sourced mostly from Grand and Premier Cru vineyards. In Champagne, those classifications identify the villages in the cru hierarchy, so place enters the blend before grape composition is set. Chardonnay contributes acidity, while Pinot Noir contributes body. Their proportions affect the wine's mouthfeel. Maison Henriot's named cuvées use both grapes, with the range including both a single grape wine and a blend.

Place

Maison Henriot's six founding crus are represented in Cuvée Hemera. Avize, Chouilly, Verzenay and Verzy are among the named sources. The cuvée draws equal parts from two regions and combines Chardonnay with Pinot Noir. A Champagne cuvée assembled from several crus can combine fruit from different village sources before bottling. The wine's geographic spread comes from the blend itself.

Story

Joseph Henriot was a trained agronomist who gradually took over the family company from 1962. In 1994, he left Veuve Clicquot to manage Henriot independently. The house acquired Bouchard Père & Fils in Burgundy in 1995, with 130 hectares of vines. It then acquired William Fèvre in Chablis in 1998. After Joseph died in 2015, Gilles de Begon of La Rouziere de Montlosier assumed leadership of the family business. The acquisitions placed Champagne, Burgundy and Chablis in one wine portfolio.

Vineyards And Cellar

Blanc de Blancs is 100% Chardonnay from two thirds Premier and Grand Cru vineyards. Cuvée Hemera was disgorged with a dosage of 3.5 grams per liter. Dosage is the measured sugar addition made after disgorgement, and it sets the finished wine's sweetness. Lees ageing keeps sparkling wine with spent yeast. That contact can soften texture and build savoury aromas.

Wines

Brut Souverain carries the house's Brut designation, a dry Champagne dosage category. Blanc de Blancs is Chardonnay only. Cuvée Hemera is the vintage cuvée, blending Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the house's founding crus. Together, these named wines show differences in grape composition and origin. Brut Souverain is the house Brut, Blanc de Blancs uses only Chardonnay, and Cuvée Hemera is a vintage blend from several crus.

In The Glass

Brut Souverain opens with cake, fresh citrus fruit and smoke. The smoke develops into pure chalk. Its palate is ample, straightforward and round, with long, persistent freshness through the finish.

Blanc de Blancs has an intense floral nose with quince jelly and acacia honey. Flambé pineapple, fresh citrus, wet chalk and subtle pastry follow. Grapefruit and mandarine appear at the finish. Its texture is velvety, with extraordinary freshness and persistent fine mousse.

Cuvée Hemera brings blanched almonds, fresh bread, lemon oil and ripe orchard fruits, alongside sourdough, acacia, citrus peel, apricots and honeycomb.

A Bottle To Understand It

Choose Cuvée Hemera 2013. It is an equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blend from the house's founding crus. The bottle brings both grape varieties and named cru origins together in one vintage cuvée. Blanc de Blancs isolates Chardonnay, while Brut Souverain carries the house's Brut designation.

Anecdote

The Henriot family had been in the cloth business since the 16th century. In 1808, Apolline Henriot, widow of Nicolas Simon Henriot, officially founded the House of Henriot by making the private Champagne Henriot in her father's vineyard in Bouzy available for sale. She sold the wines under the name Veuve Henriot Ainé.

Final Word

Maison Henriot makes Champagne from named cru sources and varying combinations of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

At A Glance

The Producer

Place

Story

Vineyards And Cellar

Wines

In The Glass

A Bottle To Understand It

Anecdote

Final Word

Sources

Where to go next