Champagne Henriot

Champagne Henriot was established in Reims in 1808 by Apolline Henriot, the widow of Nicolas Simon Henriot, placing it among the older continuously operating houses in the region. The house earned a Royal Warrant from the Imperial and Royal Court of Austria in 1850, a mark of prestige that helped cement its international reputation during the nineteenth century. The Henriot cellars were destroyed during the First World War and subsequently rebuilt by Etienne Henriot, a testament to the family's long-term commitment to the house. A pivotal moment arrived in 1987 when Joseph Henriot, the seventh generation, sold the Champagne brand to LVMH in exchange for an 11% stake in Veuve Clicquot and 125 hectares of Burgundy vineyards; he repurchased the brand (though not those vineyards) in 1994, restoring Henriot to family hands. Joseph went on to assemble the Maisons and Domaines Henriot group, acquiring Bouchard Père and Fils in 1995, William Fèvre in 1998, and Beaux Frères in Oregon in 2017.

• Founded 1808 by Apolline Henriot, widow of Nicolas Simon Henriot, in Reims.
• Received a warrant from the Imperial and Royal Court of Austria in 1850.
• Sold to LVMH in 1987 for an 11% stake in Veuve Clicquot; repurchased by Joseph Henriot in 1994.
• Joseph Henriot (1936 to 2015) built the Maisons and Domaines Henriot holding company spanning Champagne, Burgundy, Chablis, and Oregon.

After 214 years of continuous family ownership, Champagne Henriot was sold to Artémis Domaines (the wine arm of the Pinault family) in October 2022, marking the first transfer outside the Henriot family. Just six months later, in October 2023, Artémis resold the Champagne house to Terroirs et Vignerons de Champagne (TEVC), the cooperative group that also owns Nicolas Feuillatte. Gilles de Larouzière, the eighth generation of the family, retains the presidency of the broader Maisons and Domaines Henriot holding company, which continues to oversee the Burgundy and Oregon properties, but Champagne Henriot is now a subsidiary of TEVC. Christophe Juarez, CEO of TEVC, was appointed Managing Director of Champagne Henriot following the acquisition, while Alice Tétienne was elevated to Deputy Managing Director and Director of Cellars and Vineyards. Guillaume Deglise was appointed in January 2024 to lead global development for both Henriot and TEVC, and Jackson Family Wines took over as exclusive US importer in 2024.

• Sold to Artémis Domaines (Pinault family) in October 2022 after 214 years of family ownership.
• Resold to cooperative group TEVC (owner of Nicolas Feuillatte) in October 2023 after only six months.
• Alice Tétienne, Chef de Cave since 2020, promoted to Deputy Managing Director and Director of Cellars and Vineyards post-acquisition.
• Jackson Family Wines became exclusive US importer in 2024; Guillaume Deglise appointed head of global development in January 2024.

Henriot works with approximately 145 hectares spread across three of Champagne's key sub-regions: the Montagne de Reims, the Côte des Blancs, and the Vallée de la Marne, encompassing 29 distinct crus in total. Of this total, around 30 hectares are estate-owned, including 17 hectares in grand cru sites and 17 hectares in premier cru sites; a further 65 hectares are managed under long-term grower contracts and 50 under additional management agreements. On the Montagne de Reims, the house focuses on Pinot Noir from villages including Verzy, Verzenay, Avenay, and Mailly. The Côte des Blancs provides the backbone of Henriot's Chardonnay character, with holdings in Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Oger, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The breadth of cru access across all three zones underpins the complexity of the Brut Souverain NV, which draws fruit from all 29 crus.

• Approximately 145 hectares total across 29 crus: 30 owned, 65 under long-term grower contract, 50 under management.
• Owned grand cru sites: 17 hectares; owned premier cru sites: 17 hectares.
• Montagne de Reims Pinot Noir from Verzy, Verzenay, Avenay, and Mailly.
• Côte des Blancs Chardonnay from Avize, Chouilly, Cramant, Oger, and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger.

Henriot positions itself firmly as a Chardonnay house, requiring a minimum of 50% Chardonnay in all non-vintage blends, a commitment that drives the house's signature style of precision, minerality, and restraint. Lees aging exceeds legal minimums at every tier: non-vintage wines spend at least 15 months on lees, while vintage wines age for a minimum of three years. Yields are capped at 13,000 kg per hectare, prioritizing concentration over volume. The prestige cuvée Hemera, a 50/50 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir blend from six grand cru villages, is produced only in exceptional years, with confirmed vintages 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2013 released as of 2025. The L'Inattendue series, launched in 2016, explores single-vineyard, single-vintage expressions, while Cuvée 38 represents a living perpetual reserve begun by Joseph Henriot in 1990. The house is pursuing HVE and Viticulture Durable en Champagne certifications and is targeting full organic certification for its Champagne vineyards by 2027.

• Minimum 50% Chardonnay in non-vintage blends; extended lees aging of at least 15 months NV and 3 years vintage.
• Yields capped at 13,000 kg per hectare across all estate and contracted vineyards.
• Hemera only produced in exceptional vintages; confirmed releases: 2005, 2006, 2008, and 2013 as of 2025.
• Organic certification targeted for 2027; HVE and Viticulture Durable en Champagne certifications already earned.

Champagne Henriot occupies a distinctive position in the Reims landscape as a house that maintained genuinely independent, family-driven ownership for over two centuries while articulating a consistent and deliberate Chardonnay-first philosophy. Its transition through three owners in the space of twelve months (family, Artémis, and then TEVC) marks one of the more consequential ownership changes in recent Champagne history and raises legitimate questions about long-term direction. At the same time, the continuity of Alice Tétienne as Chef de Cave and the house's ongoing commitment to organic viticulture and low-dosage winemaking suggest the core identity is being preserved. For students of Champagne, Henriot offers a lens through which to examine grand marque history, the economics of family house succession, and the stylistic implications of Chardonnay-dominant blending across three sub-regions. The Cuvée Hemera stands as one of the more accessible prestige cuvées from a house with genuine terroir credibility.

• 214 years of unbroken family ownership make Henriot a benchmark case study in Champagne house succession and sale.
• Chardonnay-first philosophy, minimum 50% in NV blends, distinguishes Henriot from most other multi-varietal Reims houses.
• Cuvée Hemera (first vintage 2005, 6 grand cru villages, equal Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) represents a serious prestige tier.
• The rapid ownership chain (2022 to 2023) from Artémis to TEVC is a significant case study in post-family transition dynamics within Champagne.