About Champagne Henriot

Champagne Henriot is one of the most recognized and one of the few remaining family-owned Houses in Champagne. With over 200 years of independence and heritage, Champagne Henriot has cultivated an audacious approach and a distinctive, elegant and luminous style of its own guided by the pursuit of the purest expression of Chardonnay. The new Cellar Master, Alice Tétienne, oversees a total of 145 hectares of vineyard (of which approximately 20% is owned) and a small-scale production with grapes selected from the finest terroirs in the Côtes des Blancs and Montagne de Reims.

Originally from Lorraine, the Henriot family relocated to Reims around 1640 where they dealt in textiles and wine brokerage, acquiring vineyards along the way. In 1794, Nicolas Henriot married Apolline Godinot, a young woman from a local grower family who brought with her Pinot Noir vineyards from Montagne de Reims. After Nicolas died, Apolline continued to develop the vineyards and in 1808, at just 33 years old, she founded Veuve Henriot Ainé, producing the first and most historic of the House’s champagnes: Brut Souverain NV.

As one of the famous and formidable widows in the development of Champagne, Apolline sold her wines within France and abroad. As champagne became fashionable among royalty, Champagne Henriot became a favorite with the Hapsburg rulers of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In 1880, Paul Henriot married Marie Marguet, who brought with her some of the finest Chardonnay parcels of land in the Côte des Blancs. As such, the practice of using only the best varieties for making their champagne —Chardonnay and Pinot Noir — was established.

The House’s new Chef de Cave, Alice Tétienne – whose family comes from the same area as Apolline – is one of the youngest Cellar Masters in Champagne, but has already gained experience at wineries like Krug and Laurent-Perrier, honing her skills to take on this incredible responsibility. She is a pure product of Champagne, whose passion and curiosity for the vine started at a young age. She grew up exploring the vineyards by foot and understanding the vines and terroirs of this region, leading her to concentrate her formal studies on viticulture and enology. Leveraging her talents and extensive background as a winegrower, Alice was awarded the title of “Cellar Master of the Year 2020” by Trophées Champenois.

Champagne Henriot produces seven Chardonnay-driven champagnes, including: Blanc de Blancs NV, Brut Souverain NV, Rosé NV, Rosé Millésimé, Brut Millésime, Cuvée Hemera, and Cuve 38 “Perpetual Reserve.” Cuvée Hemera, the House’s “Prestige Cuvée”, formerly named Cuvée Des Enchanteleurs and now renamed after the Greek Goddess of Daylight, is the legacy cuvée of Henriot bringing together a selection of plots amongst the six founding Grand Cru Villages. Cuve 38 (“Tank 38”) is the quintessence of Henriot’s style and a truly unique and audacious wine. It began in 1990 as Joseph Henriot’s vision to isolate a tank and create a perpetual blend exclusively of four of the most prestigious Grand Cru Chardonnays from the Côte des Blancs. Only 1,000 magnums are released each year.

Champagne Henriot continues their small-scale production of Champagnes that focus on refinement, elegance and complexity, sourced from some of the finest vineyards in Champagne. The cuvées of Henriot are approachable, distinctive and a necessary addition to any Champagne lovers’ collection.

Today, the Henriot family’s renown is sustained not only by their storied history in Champagne, but also for being the first Champagne house to venture into Burgundy. They took over the torch from Bouchard Père & Fils in 1995, and William Fèvre three years later. In 2017, the family company Maisons & Domaines Henriot crossed the Atlantic, creating a partnership with Michael Etzel and his Oregon winery, Beaux Frères. There is a common thread with each of the acquisitions: all properties are family-owned, boast exceptional terroirs, and are distinguished by talented craftspeople who assure the highest in quality standards. As described by eighth-generation family member Gilles de Larouzière, “Our expertise and passion have been honed and passed down from generation to generation, embracing the winemaking advances of each era and magnifying our art without sacrificing our identity.