Henriot La Réserve Perpétuelle Cuve 38 ---- (Sparkling)

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.

Cuvée 38 was conceived by Joseph Henriot in 1990, with the idea of ​​producing an Extra-Brut Blanc de Blancs which, after each harvest, would be enriched with the vintage's finest Chardonnays, in a kind of perpetual assemblage representing the maison's "DNA". This new cuvée was launched in 2014 from 23 grand cru Chardonnay vintages, to which the 2014 vintage was added. Taken from the best wines of the Côte des Blancs (Mesnil-sur-Oger, Chouilly, Avize and Oger), this champagne is slightly dosed (less than 5 grammes per litre), giving the terroir space to express itself fully. The nose offers floral, buttery notes. The palate delivers a beautiful minerality, accompanied by citrus aromas and brioche notes. The bubbles are delicate, and the finish is particularly long.

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