Basking in the autumn beauty of Henriot

Maison et Domaines Henriot is the owner of Bouchard Pere et Fils, Chablis William Fevre, and last but not least, the magnificent Champagne Henriot.

Henriot has a long history of producing interesting and refined Champagnes, and in a time when small houses and even smaller cuvèes are fashionable, it remains a touchstone for lovers of classic Champagnes.

Earlier this week, Henriot held an online tasting and presentation of two cuvèes and a new, beautiful, Champagne stem. It was a welcome afternoon treat, and all three items on display were very much worth mentioning here.

Winehog – Away from home turf on a quest for hedonism

As you know, Champagne is not the usual home turf of the Winehog, as I normally stay in Burgundian terroirs. Many – or even all – of my readers, however, love Champagne, and having the concept of vin d’émotion as a core value for all top wines, identifying those wines regardless of their origin is an important task. So let’s get hedonistic!

The Henriot event

The Henriot online event was a delightful Wednesday treat in a world crumbling under the weight of COVID. We need cheer – and cheers! – from our Champagne friends on dark days like this. Salut to being alive!

Gilles de Larouzière, eighth-generation Henriot and head of the Henriot estates; and winemaker – or is it Champagne maker? – Alice Tétienne hosted the presentation and tasting.

We started out with the racy Henriot Blanc de Blanc – and old friend of the Winehog – and then followed with the new prestige Cuvée Hemera 2006, a top-end Champagne replacing the old Enchanteleurs.

The two wines were shown in the new Henriot Champagne stems made by Lehmann, a glass that really seems to enhance the energy and hedonistic joy in these Champagnes.

These are indeed interesting stems, and they will be included in my tasting tools ASAP. What a treat, and a very pleasant surprise; but more about this below in the tasting notes.

Champagne Henriot Blanc de Blanc NV

Expressive, stony – almost flinty – and delicate, this is very vivid, with even an initial hint of gun-powder in the Zaltos. Expressive, almost bone-dry in feel, it has fine mid-palate body for such a dry Champagne. Razor-sharp in the Zalto Universal, the wine was more yielding and hedonistic in the new Henriot glass. The Henriot stem reveals more and more of the wine as the temperature rises; this glass gives the cuvee more harmony and extra hedonistic mid-palate generosity. It shows the wine’s extra energy without removing the crunchy, dry feeling of the cuvee. Tremendous energy and a fine mouthfeel, this is from a 2014 base wine (60%), and it shows real beauty, supported by additions of the 2013, 2012, 2011 and 2010 vintages.

(Drink From Now) – Fine – (91-92p) – Tasted 21/10/2020

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Champagne Henriot Cuvée Hemera 2006

Hemera – the Greek goddess of daylight – is up next, and what could be more needed or welcome in these dark times? We need the radiant light of a maturely coloured top Champagne.

Hemera will only be made in top years – a tete de Cuvee – from 100% grand-cru vineyards in six Champagne villages – Mailly, Verzy, Verzenay, Mesnil sur Oger, Avize and Chouilly.

This is very deep, and needs some time in the glass to unfold. There is lovely depth in the Zalto; more rounded depth in the Henriot stem. As was the Enchanteleurs, it is 50/50 Chardonnay/Pinot Noir, but it’s clearly a different wine. Saline, deep, and discrete, yet with a lovely expression of fruit and depth. More dosage than the bone-dry Blanc de Blanc, yet still on the delicate and firm side, with some reductive notes that are more prominent in the Zalto stem. It’s ready to enjoy now, but would ideally be cellared some years to enhance its delightful creaminess and salinity. Not as bold as some of the Enchanteleurs I have tasted, Hemera is subtle in shedding its refined light. It’s time for reflection and hedonistic enjoyment!

(Drink From 2026) – Very Fine+ – (94-95p) – Tasted 21/10/2020