The Henriot family, who immigrated from the Loire region, has been growing grapes in the Champagne region since 1640. The traditional champagne house based in Reims was founded in 1808 under the name "Veuve Henriot Ainé" by Appoline Henriot after the death of her husband, making it one of the oldest champagne producers. Two ladies from the house married into the family of the German-born champagne house Heidsieck. The grandson Ernest Henriot (1826-1890) founded the champagne house Charles Heidsieck together with his brother-in-law Charles Camille Heidsieck (1822-1893) in 1851, but returned to the family business in 1875.
In the 1970s, Joseph Henriot (1936-2015) took over the company. In 1976, Henriot was merged with Charles Heidsieck, with Joseph Henriot controlling both companies. Then in the year he sold his company to the champagne house Veuve Clicquot-Ponsardin and received 11% of the shares. He initiated the sale of this company to Louis Vuitton, where he then acted as chairman of the board, arranging the merger with Moët Hennessy and creating the luxury group LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy). Finally, in 1994, he bought back Henriot (but without the vineyards). A year later, the négociant Bouchard Père et Fils in Burgundy was acquired. Already a few years before his father's death in 2015, son Thomas Henriot had meanwhile taken over the management of Champagne Henriot.
The company's own vineyards in Champagne cover 25 hectares of vines in the cru sites of Avize, Chouilly, Le Mesnil, Oger and Vertus. They are planted with a high proportion of Chardonnay (40%) and Pinot Noir. Only these two varieties are used for the champagnes (i.e. no Pinot Meunier or others). The house's product range includes "Brut Souverain" (Chardonnay and Pinot Noir), "Blanc de Blancs Brut" (100% Chardonnay), "Rosé Brut" and the vintage champagne "Brut" (both Pinot Noir and Chardonnay). The Cuvée de Prestige of the house is called "Cuvée des Enchanteleurs". Produced only in the best years, this millésime (vintage champagne) is blended from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. A total of around one million bottles of champagne are produced annually, the majority of which is exported.
Joseph Henriot: Michel Joly Photographe
Bottle and label: Champagne Henriot
