Henriet Bazin

Henriet-Bazin makes grower Champagne in Villers-Marmery, on the eastern side of the Montagne de Reims. Start with the Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut for its lemon pith and salty finish. For a vintage bottle, the Cuvée Marie-Amélie 2016 brings chalk, honeyed lemon peel and a little toffee as it opens.

Gaston Henriet began making Champagne in Verzenay in 1890. In 1968 his grandson Daniel married Micheline Bazin, whose family grew grapes in Villers-Marmery. Today the family farms 7.75 hectares in Villers-Marmery, Verzenay, Verzy and the Ardre valley, including Faverolles-et-Coëmy. Marie-Noëlle and Nicolas describe giving up weedkillers, growing grass between the vines and sowing plants to feed the soil.

When we tasted the earlier Marie-Amélie 2012, we found wet chalk, white flowers and pear drops. That was a Chardonnay from three old plots in Villers-Marmery, bottled without dosage. For more on how winemakers work with individual vineyards, explore our guide to grower Champagne.