Champagne Henriot Brut Souverain Chardonnay

Winery Description

History
It was in 1808, under Appoline Henriot, that Champagne Henriot was officially founded. 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.
Appoline, an enterprising woman of great character, sold her wines both in France and abroad.

The champagne wines became a huge success with royalty and it was only natural that Champagne Henriot became the favorite firstly at the Dutch court, then in Austria and Hungary with the Hapsburgs.

She passed on her savoir-faire to her grandson, Ernest : a family tradition was born.
In 1875, Ernest enlarged the company's holdings and developped the House. At the end of the 19th century, the phylloxera crisis reached the Champagne vineyards but Emile Marguet, (father in law to Paul Henriot) was one of the first to reconstitute his vineyards with grafted stock.

From then on and 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 Vineyard
In addition to the vineyards tended by the company, Champagne Henriot purchases grapes from growers in the best 'terroirs' in the area who have chosen to work together with the family firm to defend the acclaimed excellence of the wines bearing the signature of the Henriot family.

It is Laurent Fresnet, Champagne Henriot’s Chef de cave who is in charge of this delicate mission.

Famous Pinot Noir crus:
Verzy, Verzenay, Avenay, Mareuil, Mailly

Famous Chardonnay crus:
Chouilly, Oger, Avize, Mesnil, Vertus, Cramant

The Philosophy
The House cultivates a very particular style, valuing time, patience, and the pursuit of perfection. It chooses the best wines from the best "crus", demanding the most careful work from the vineyard and cellar workers.
The family’s knowledge of the terroirs and blending skill makes the wines of Champagne Henriot recognizable among all others.

The style
Champagne Henriot is committed to offering wines with a strong personality centered around the family’s philosophy of wine making.

The grape varieties
The Pinot Meunier variety, although it represents a third of the varieties grown in Champagne, is only used in a very small proportion in the Henriot blends. The Pinot Noir and Chardonnay varieties are preferred, to express the elegance, intensity and lightness required for a great champagne.

The blend
The high proportion of Chardonnay which can vary from 40% to 60% (the average in Champagne is nearer to 30%) is an important distinctive element in the Champagne Henriot blends.
In Champagne, the legal minimum requirement for ageing in bottle for non vintage Brut is fifteen months. However, the House of Henriot takes a pride in ageing its "cuvées" for a much longer time. This indispensable maturing period enables the wines to develop their complexity and refinement.

Tasting notes

A gem in the Henriot range, this Champagne, lively and subtle, exalts the character of this variety that is so dear to the Henriot family.

Composition of the cuvée:

• 100% Chardonnay, mostly from the terroirs of Mesnil sur Oger, Vertus, Chouilly and Trépail
• 38% of which are reserve wines*
   

* This estimated data is given for information only and may vary slightly from one year to another.

Vinification

Champagne

A cuvée composed of 100% Chardonnay from the best terroirs in the Côte des Blancs.