Brut Cuvée Baccarat Henriot 1985

Lot presentation

Brut Cuvée Baccarat Henriot 1985

The wine

Maison Henriot’s Baccarat cuvée no longer exists. It was first renamed Cuvée des Enchanteleurs before becoming Mémoires, its current name. This remarkable Champagne is the work of the Cellar Master and her team and is produced only in exceptional vintages. This vintage Champagne is crafted from fruit sourced across the house’s six founding crus, each contributing an equal share to the blend. The wine is composed of 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay. Three of the crus, Avize, Chouilly and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, are located in the Côte des Blancs, while Verzy, Verzenay and Mailly-Champagne lie around the Montagne de Reims. All six villages are classified as Grand Cru.
In the cellar, the wine is aged on laths for a minimum of 10 years. Every bottle is tasted, individually numbered and disgorged by hand by the Cellar Master herself. The nose reveals aromas of citrus fruit, stone fruit, baked apple and candied fruit. On the palate, its generous, opulent texture gives way to flavours of honey, sweet spice and vanilla. A fine thread of minerality runs through the wine, bringing freshness and excellent ageing potential.

Established in Champagne since the 16th century, the Henriot family has built one of the most beautiful brands in Champagne. In 1808, Apolline Henriot, the veuve, widow of Nicolas Simon Henriot, officially founded the Maison Henriot and began to market its wines under the name of Veuve Henriot Aîné. Champagne Henriot was soon appreciated by the Grandes Cours, including that of the Prince of Holland. In 1851, Ernest Henriot, Apolline’s grandson, created the eponymous brand with his brother-in-law Charles Camille Heidsieck. In 1875, they separated and each continued to manage his own brand. By the end of the 19th century, the Henriot vineyard was considerable: it is divided into the grands crus of the Côte des Blancs of the Marne Valley and the Montagne de Reims. But phylloxera then the Great War destroyed the vineyard. In 1926, Étienne Henriot took over the management and began a purchasing policy to rebuild the domain. When he died in 1957, his son Joseph took over the reins; at the same time, he became the Chairman of Charles Heidsieck and Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin. Henriot had a very particular style: the wines are aged on their sides, and only the best wines of the best vintages enter the cuvées. At the same time, Champagne Henriot buys from winemakers established in the best terroirs of Champagne: Verzy, Verzenay, Avenay, Mareuil, Mailly for the crus of Pinot Noir, Chouilly, Oger, Avize, Mesnil, Vertus and Cramant for Chardonnays. Laurent Fresnet, the Cellar Master, brilliantly perpetuates the Henriot ""taste"": fine, precise and very pure wines, predominantly Chardonnay, great aperitif wines. Henriot has indeed placed his reputation on his Chardonnay wines, jewels of the maison and regularly ranked among the best.