Henriot Champagne Tasting with Special Guest Cellar Master Alice Tetienne

"The First Duty of wine is to be Red...the second is to be a Burgundy"

Harry Waugh

Ok- but we like the white wines of Burgundy also… but my favorite wine is Champagne.

On Thursday, October 27th we have Alice Tetienne, the Chef De Cave from Henriot which is one of our favorite Champagne houses at Wine Watch.   The Chef De Cave or winemaker in Champagne is the highest skilled in their field as they must take three grapes, dozens of wines and three or more vintages and make a consistent product every year. 

Alice was formerly at the house of Krug and those of you that have been following my propaganda know that Krug is my favorite Champagne house but with Alice at the helm here that may change as the Champagne at Henriot is a lot more affordable!

This will be a special night and we will be serving every bottling we have in the store from Champagne Henriot this evening.  The fee for this event which includes dinner is $250 + tax.  We only have 16 spaces available for this event!  For Reservations e-mail andy@winewatch.com or call 954-523-9463. 

Champagne Henriot Tasting

with Special Guest Chef De Cave Alice Tetienne

Thursday, October 27th

7:30pm

NV HENRIOT SOUVERAIN BRUT CHAMPAGNE

Price: $48.75       Your Price: $42.90            Quantity in Stock: 35

Toasty smokey notes to the bouquet very complex and rich with hazelnut and light ginger spice. Around 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir usually 20% reserve wines going back as far as 4-5 years. Lovely richness on the tongue with a fresh dough and nutty quality coming through on the finish, with pear and apple fruit lemon citrus and a smoky character on the finish. Finish 40 Excellent

NV HENRIOT BLANC DE BLANC CHAMPAGNE

Price: $72.00       Your Price: $63.36            Quantity in Stock: 9

(93 Points) Rich and toasty, this is a textbook Blanc de Blancs, with firm acidity, a creamy, refined texture and flavors of hazelnut, toasted brioche, apple pastry, lemon meringue, ground spice and subtle, smoky mineral. A finely tailored wine. Drink now through 2020. â€"AN Wine Spectator Issue: Nov 30, 2011



2012 HENRIOT BRUT MILLESIME CHAMPAGNE

Price: $105.00    Your Price: $92.40            Quantity in Stock: 12

A blend comprising some ten Premier and Grand Cru Villages, this vintage celebrates what could only be described as a unique year. As soon as the first grapes were picked, we knew this was going to be a great harvest, which only became more apparent throughout the ageing and blending process. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in perfect balance will transport Champagne lovers to a world of subtle sensations presenting springtime freshness, mineral character and a breadth of aromas spearheaded by fruit notes. This exceptional year, in pure Henriot style, brings great ageing potential to this elegant and generous Champagne, which will evolve resolutely over time.  -champagne-henriot.com

2006 HENRIOT CUVEE HEMERA BRUT CHAMPAGNE

Price: $180.00    Your Price: $158.40          Quantity in Stock: 5

Henriot Hemera, taking its name from the Greek goddess of daylight, has been launched as the house's new top Champagne and replaces Cuvée des Enchanteleurs.  The delicate bubbles form a steady stream of mousse with divine effervescence. The Champagne is brightly-tinged and golden yellow in appearance. The bouquet offers a wealth of elegant aromas, featuring notes of white flowers, linden leaf, and underpinned by a hint of vanilla. Candied fruit notes of apricot at the front of the palate pave the way for a hint of spice. The quintessence of the great terroirs. The magnificent freshness on the palate contrasts with the nose. Precise and mineral, a layer of iodine and saline accents are the characteristic of the most prestigious chalk parcels of the Côte des Blancs. This freshness complements the notes of ripe peach, nectarine and grapefruit. Notes of pastry and spiced fruit impart the lengthy finish. Uniquely irresistible. The low dosage of this cuvee plays its part in retaining and enhancing the natural beauty of the primary fruit.

NV HENRIOT CHAMPAGNE BLANC DE BLANCS CUVEE 38 MAGNUM

Price: $598.50    Your Price: $526.68          Quantity in Stock: 1

Attractive pale yellow, glistening with golden tinges. Elegant, persistent bubbles of rare finesse form in the glass. On the bouquet, delicate aromas of fresh butter typical of the Henriot style are complemented by armfuls of white flowers. Mineral in style, the wine's delicate, creamy character also comes to the fore, underpinned by an unusual hint of liquorice. On the palate, the Champagne reveals inimitable signature style. Vibrant citrus fruit aromas and the sweetness of sun-kissed ripe apricots form a virtuoso harmony. Pastry notes tinged with honey follow suit, always of great finesse.

Created in 1990, Cuve 38 was the visionary inspiration and brainchild of Joseph Henriot. Setting aside a single tank - Cuve 38 - he decided to create a blend exclusively comprising four of the most prestigious Grand Cru Chardonnays from the Cote des Blancs: Chouilly, Avize, Oger and Mesnil-sur-Oger. Every year since that day, a portion of the harvest from each of these villages is added to this precious cuve to continue the process. Cuve 38 epitomises a living wine; a wine infinitely rejuvenated so that the freshness enhances the complex character of the finest chardonnay. As a result, on the palate, the wine triggers a unique, thrilling and profound emotion, which evolves and unfurls through a constantly renewed wave of aromas, even while the wine is being tasted. Layers upon layers of time form a majestic work in a state of perpetual change, enrichment and continuation.



NV HENRIOT ROSE BRUT CHAMPAGNE

List Price: $72.00               Your Price: $63.36            Quantity in Stock: 10

Strawberry and red cherry fruit on the nose with notes of red plum and red licorice spice along with rose petal floral notes. Light red cherry wild strawberry fruit with lovely creamy mousee very elegant and rich with lovely freshness 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay the pinot Noir is red and then blended into the Chardonnay to maintain a consistent color. Finish 45 Most Excellent

2012 HENRIOT BRUT ROSE MILLESIME CHAMMPAGNE

Price: $117.00    Your Price: $102.96          Quantity in Stock: 4

(97 points) "Aromas of smoke and raspberry cede to a delightful mousse on the palate, with brisk acidity propelling complex notes of pear, melon and brioche. Well-judged, elegant and impressively long, this never wavers in its elegance. (2020)" Decanter

Menu

Cheese and Charcuterie Selection

Shoestring Fries with Parmesan and Truffle Oil

Baby Bliss Potatoes filled with Creme Fraiche American Sturgeon Caviar, Hard Boiled Egg and Chive

Seared Foie Gras with Sauteed Wild Mushrooms served over Brioche Toast

Panko Breaded Chicken Breast with Bearnaise Sauce and Green Bean Almandine

White Balsamic and Fresh Fruit tart

The fee for this tasting is $250 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.  Please let us know when you make your reservation if you have any dietary restrictions and chef Toni will be happy to accommodate you.

 "Champagne Henriot is on a quest for excellence; we pay attention to every detail. My objective is to perpetuate the House's philosophy, signature chardonnay-driven style, and respect the goal that Apolline Henriot set out for in the beginning: to produce beautiful champagnes that are representative of the region and terroir."

CELLAR MASTER ALICE TÉTIENNE

Born and raised in the Champagne region, Alice Tétienne has spent the majority of her life in the vines, relishing putting her hands in the soil and deeply curious about the diversity of terroir that exists all around her. A believer that excellence comes when vineyards can truly express themselves, Tétienne and the house of Champagne Henriot share a passion for the pursuit of the purest expression of Chardonnay from selected grapes in the finest terroirs of the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims. In her role as Cellar Master, Tétienne dedicates her time to the vineyards where she focuses on protecting the soil and vines, maintaining the finest terroir, and preserving Champagne Henriot's signature style of acidity and freshness. Tétienne was awarded the "Best Winemaker of the Year" in 2020 by Trophées Champenois for her dedicated work.

Tétienne came to Champagne Henriot from Maison Krug, where she was responsible for vineyard relations and was a member of the Tasting Committee. Before Maison Krug, Tétienne joined Centre Vinicole Nicolas Feuillatte in 2014 as an oenologist, supporting winegrowers on grape pressing and winemaking. A highly specialized winemaker, she holds a Bachelor's in Vine Sciences, and a Master's in Vine and Terroir from Institut Universitaire de la Vigne et du Vin Dijon, as well as a National Diploma of Oenology from Les Unités de Formation et de Recherche (UFR) Reims, a Master Wines and Champagne qualification from University de Reims Champagne Ardenne, and considerable experience working in various wine regions throughout France.

Through her experience, Tétienne has acquired knowledge of all the critical steps to craft Champagne wines, with a particular focus sustainability.  Tétienne is in charge of both the vineyards that Champagne Henriot owns and works with the network of growers that the house has worked with for generations.

Tétienne and Champagne Henriot's connection is more than a shared love of the vineyards: Her grandmother previously owned a vineyard neighboring one of the first vineyards owned by founder Apolline Henriot in the Montagne de Reims. Tétienne lives in that area today and can see both of the vineyards from her home.



A bit about Champagne Henriot:

The Champagne house of Henriot can trace its history back 370+ years to when their direct descendants migrated to the region.  Native to Lorraine, the family relocated to Champagne around 1640.  In Reims, the Henriots engaged in textile and wine brokerage.  Little by little, the family acquired vineyards and by 1791 they had acquired the Hôtel des Douanes and the Fermes Royales (built in 1760 by the architect Legendre in honour of King Louis XV).     

In 1794 Nicolas Henriot married Apolline Godinot.  Together, they developed a fascination for the culture of the vine and production of wines of quality.

It was in 1808, under Apolline 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.  Apolline, 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.

Since 1808, Champagne Henriot, one of the last independent and family-owned houses in Champagne, has pursued a tradition of excellence – a fragile balance between delicacy, intensity, and purity. For seven generations, the family has selected only the very best vineyards, concentrated on the purity of chardonnay and has upheld the utmost respect for time in order to ensure the cuvee has an opportunity to reach its full expression.

The Champagne business is very incestuous and in 1851 Ernest Henriot, grandson of Apolline Henriot, persuaded by his sister, Amélie Henriot, became associated with his brother in law, Charles Camille Heidsieck and created the brand Charles Heidsieck.  Ernest continued to manage his own business in his own name.  

The Henriot family has retained direct cultivation of roughly 35 hectares (87 acres). Their parcels are scattered among the Vallée de la Marne (Mareuil and Ay, a Grand Cru); la Montagne de Reims (Avenay, a Premier Cru); and the Côte des Blancs (Epernay, notably le Clos l'Abbé, and Chouilly, a Premier Cru). These vineyards supply fifteen to twenty percent of its needs. To supply the rest, the house depends primarily on growers who share its standards of quality. This approach provides a very large palette of crus for its blends, one of the keys to its expertise.

The vineyards it uses are situated throughout the appellation. The house is fortunate to have access to Grands and Premiers Crus, particularly in the Côte des Blancs, stronghold of the chardonnay variety which dominates in its blends: Avize, Oger, Cramant, Vertus and others. Pinot noir is selected principally from crus on the northern slope of the Montagne de Reims, such as Verzy, Verzenay and Val d'Or.

About Maisons & Domaines Henriot America

Established in New York City in 2005 by the Henriot family, Maisons & Domaines Henriot America is an import company specializing in the distribution, sales and marketing of high-end wines produced by wineries which are references in their own region. Representing centuries of family winemaking expertise, the portfolio includes the Henriot family brands, as well as leading producers from Oregon, Italy and France: Champagne Henriot, William Fevre (Chablis, Burgundy), Bouchard Père & Fils (Burgundy), Château de Poncié (Fleurie, Beaujolais), Beaux Frères (Oregon, CA), , , Tenuta di Ghizzano (Tuscany, Italy), and Château des Bertrands (Provence, France).