09-04-2025
Striking New Releases From Champagne Henriot
There are so many excellent Champagne houses producing wonderful cuvées; many of them are famous not only for their quality, but also their marketing, as these wines can be found on shelves of the best retail stores, as well as on wine lists at the most exclusive restaurants around the world.
For many years, there has been something of a 'rich get richer' situation with Champagne producers; as these wines are typically not an everyday staple for most households, consumers often choose a well-known and familiar brand. This is understandable, but the result is that numerous Champagne producers that are crafting notable cuvées too often get lost in the shuffle.
Champagne Henriot is an example of one of these houses; the principals there understand this, and to their credit, have taken the necessary steps to change this situation, starting with the most important work, creating first-rate wines.
Vineyards of Henriot
©Alma Photographie Studio
I recently sat down with Guillaume Deglise, Managing Director of Henriot, to taste several current cuvées and learn his input on the status quo of this house. 'Things have changed so much in the last ten years,' Deglise told me, and Henriot has certainly seen important changes as well. Climate has arguably been the biggest change; Henriot has taken advantage of that, as grapes obtain more even ripeness these days, although a tradeoff has been a lessening of acidity in numerous recent vintages, as compared to the past.
One of the most important new developments at Henriot has been the creation of a new cuvée named L'Inattendue that was first produced from the 2016 vintage; the new release that I tasted with Deglise was the 2018 vintage. 100% Chardonnay from the Grand Cru village of Chouilly, this is an artisan champagne that displays superb balance along with beautiful varietal purity. Deglise described this wine as a 'monocru.' 'It's not necessarily a single vineyard in that we have a blend of different plots within the same village, but it's a monocru, as we call it. This time the fruit is from Chouilly (the 2016 was from Avize, another Grand Cru village), which is in the very far northern part of the Côte des Blancs.'
Deglise explained that 2016 was a very cold growing season in Champagne, while 2018 was a vintage with ample sunshine. The name L'Inattendue means 'the unexpected,' which is more a description of the plans for this wine, as it could be from anywhere in the region, not necessarily a single vineyard in the Côte des Blancs district. The quality of the wine is certainly not unexpected, as it combines the silkiness of top-flight Chardonnay with tremendous complexity. For my money, this is one of the most exciting new cuvées from Champagne in several years.
One of the most important steps forward for Henriot took place in 2020, when Alice Tétienne was named the chef-de-cave, another way of saying winemaking director. Tétienne was born in Champagne, and her previous job was working in the vineyards at Champagne Krug. Deglise notes that later this year the first wines she made will be on the market (the cuvées I tasted with him were made by her predecessor).
Deglise remarked that climate change is a problem everywhere, but that, 'compared with other areas in France, we manage it very well, and you feel it in the wines. There is not a single vineyard where you say, 'this is exactly what Champagne should be; every time is different. So you don't have the standard year anymore." He recalls how cold the 2013 growing season was in Champagne, when the harvest was much later than in recent years; he labels 2013 as 'the October harvest' and given the warmer temperatures that have become commonplace in Champagne these days - 2018 was a year of substantially warmer temperatures, one that saw heatwaves during the summer, according to Deglise - the conditions of 2013 will never happen again.
Business is quite good for Champagne Henriot these days, as they export to 80 markets, with Japan being number one, followed by the United States. '2022 was a record year in Champagne,' he comments. 'We felt that the trend was declining in 2023, while 2024 was a very difficult year; it was a minus nine percent globally. But for Henriot in 2024, we were up 10% because we developed new markets, including a new national importer in the US.'
Deglise understands the importance of communicating the style of Henriot to trade buyers and consumers. 'It's important for us to come regularly, meet with customers, spending time in the field - it's very, very important. And opening bottles to make people understand what the Henriot style is about.'
Based on what I tasted this day with Deglise, Champagne Henriot should have a bright future ahead of it, as I believe that this house will soon have an excellent awareness with consumers, not only in America, but around the world as well.
Notes on current releases from Champagne Henriot:
Brut Souverain non-vintage - A blend of Pinot Noir (45%), Chardonnay (40%) and Meunier (15%); 28% reserve wine; dosage less than six grams per liter. Classic aromas of apple, lemon peel, yellow flowers and yeast. Medium-bodied, there is very good acidity, impressive freshness, and an elegant finish with good persistence. Enjoy over the next 5-7 years. Very good value. (91)
Blanc de Blancs non-vintage - Steely aromas of lemon peel, citrus peel and green apple. Medium-full, with excellent harmony and varietal character. The finish is lengthy and very appealing, with impressive complexity. Enjoy over the next 5-7 years. (91)
L'Inattendue 2018 - 100% Chardonnay from the Grand Cru village of Chouilly. Bright, medium deep yellow; very tiny bubbles and excellent perlage persistence. Aromas of yeast, honey, lemon zest and golden apples. Medium-full, with a rich, layered mid-palate. Very good acidity, layered mid-palate, superb balance and outstanding complexity. Enjoy over the next 12-15 years. (95)
Millésime 2014 - A blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay 50/50; dosage five grams per liter. Aromas of yellow plum, a hint of caramel and a light nuttiness. Medium-full with firm acidity, excellent persistence, notable complexity and a beautifully balanced finish with distinct chalky notes. Enjoy over the next 10-12 years. (93)
Cuvée Hemera 2013 - A 50/50 Pinot Noir/Chardonnay blend. Aromas of golden apples, Anjou pear, lemon juice and hints of fig and golden raisins. Medium-full, with a rich mid-palate, there is outstanding complexity, excellent persistence, and a rich, lush finish. Very impressive! Enjoy over the next 10-12 years. (94)
Henriot Blanc de Blancs
Photo courtesy of Champagne Henriot
