Henriot Blanc de Blancs
"I feel like Henriot is unfortunately stuck in purgatory in the middle of the Champagne world between the really cool and tiny growers we work with and the gigantic Grande Marque houses who make and sell millions of cases a year. Henriot only makes 50,000 cases of wine a year which puts their production on par with a large grower. The commitment to quality is superb, and while they make a lot more Brut Souverain, it is the Blanc de Blancs which I drink at home most. This wine is the standard by which Henriot should be judged and appreciated."
Wine review by Wil Bailey
Standard bearer of Maison Champagne Henriot’s savoir-faire, Blanc de Blancs delights with its astonishing complexity and length. This cuvée, endowed with excellent freshness, is admirable as aperitif and also as an ideal companion at table. Champagne Henriot’s Blanc de Blancs is an assemblage of Chardonnay grapes mainly from the Côte des Blancs and village crus: Mesnil sur Oger, Avize, Chouilly, Vertus, Montgueux, Trépail, Epernay and the Vitry region. The assemblage is made up of 30% reserve wines.
Sparkling, crystalline pale gold with slight green highlights to the eye with abundant effervescence, fine and regular, with fine, delicate bubbles. Pure, concentrated and expressive nose, with floral (honeysuckle, orange flower, linden), fruity (lemon, dried apricot, almond) and pastry aromas, followed by spicy notes. On the palate the attack is dynamic, full and powerful, with aromas of lightly toasted brioche, quince jelly and acacia honey. The clean, delicious finish develops on a light menthol note and shows excellent length.
Henriot Champagne Blanc de Blancs NV
Unique among wines, truly great Champagne achieves something seemingly impossible and quite wonderful: it manages to be both delicate and powerful in the same sip. Many Champagnes are simple, somewhat tart white wine, with fizz; others are obvious and awkward in their attempt to be oaky and “big”. But then taste this Champagne from Henriot, a “Blanc de Blancs” made completely from Chardonnay – its scents are incredibly hi-toned and fresh, with lemon zest and white grapefruit but also a haunting whiff of the ocean, bringing back memories of surf spray and crushed shells. On the tongue it is racy and sleek and alive, supremely zesty and clean, yet at the same time it shows a powerful center, expanding in size to fill your mouth, packed with ripe fruit and stony minerals. This is what they mean when they call a wine “complex”!-PD
Expert Review
93 points Wine Spectator
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. –AN
Champagne Henriot Blanc Souverain NV
93 points - "This is a great champagne, in the bottle-aged Henriot style. It's a classic Chardonnay, ripe, creamy, packed with yellow fruits, and finely balanced with a great waft of toast. A high percentage of older vintages in the blend gives this wine richness, maturity, without ever losing its crisp edge."
-Wine Review by Wine Enthusiast, December 2009
Ed McCarthy, author of "Champagne for Dummies" named it WINE OF THE YEAR 2009: "My wine of the year is Champagne Henriot Blanc Souverain NV. I put Henriot’s Blanc Souverain --soon to be re-named Blanc de Blancs --in a tie with Henriot’s magnificent 1996 Brut, which retails in the very reasonable $60 to $70 range.
For me, this is the year for Champagne Henriot. It has never been better. I love the style of this house; its Champagnes are very dry, vibrant, elegant, and complex. They are perfect apéritif Champagnes, especially the Blanc Souverain, which is the best Blanc de Blancs for the money available today, in my opinion."
Food Pairings
"What wouldn't this taste great with?" you ask? Agreed. One simple pleasure I've recently fallen for is this full flavored Blanc de Blancs with home made graham crackers -who says Champagne isn't perfect to movie night or book club or even a midnigh
