Henriet-Bazin Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut

Villers-Marmery is Chardonnay country in a part of the Montagne de Reims best known for Pinot Noir. Henriet-Bazin’s Blanc de Blancs tastes of apple skin, lemon pith and a twist of orange peel. There’s a generous middle and a long, salty finish. We’d open it with oysters or grilled sole.

The Chardonnay comes from three Premier Cru parcels in the village. The family blends the first pressing with 30% reserve wine from a solera begun in 1968. Nine months on the lees in enamelled tanks and at least three years in bottle give the wine its rounded texture.

House Profile

Henriet-Bazin is based in Villers-Marmery in the Montagne de Reims. 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 Marie-Noëlle and Nicolas farm 7.75 hectares in Villers-Marmery, Verzenay, Verzy and the Ardre valley, including Faverolles-et-Coëmy. They describe giving up weedkillers, growing grass between the vines and sowing plants to feed the soil. The estate has been certified Haute Valeur Environnementale (HVE) since June 2024. The wines are crisp, clean and fruity, with plenty of tension and length.

Type

Blanc de Blancs · 100% Chardonnay · Non-vintage

Dosage

Extra Brut · 5 g/L on the grower’s technical sheet

Region

Villers-Marmery Premier Cru, Montagne de Reims