Alice Tetienne, the cellar master of Henriot, introduces the inaugural 2016 vintage of L'Inattendue, a 100 percent Grand Cru chardonnay from Avize, alongside Henriot's main wines: the Brut Souverain, Henriot’s historic cuvee; the Blanc de Blancs, a blend of chardonnay from 12 Crus; and the 2006 Cuvee Hemera, a 50-50 blend of pinot noir and chardonnay from the house’s six historical Grand Crus.
Alice explained the decision behind Henriot's first-ever single-vineyard bottling, describing the surprising richness of the chardonnay from Avize in the Cote des Blancs from the 2016 harvest, in contrast to the Grand Cru village's usual laser freshness and precision. After four years on the lees and over another year in bottle, L'Inattendue 2016 will be released in June this year, and will become a permanent cuvee in Henriot's collection. The subsequent specific vineyard bottlings after each harvest remain to be discovered although they will likely from one of the house's historical Crus (Verzy, Verzenay, Mailly, Avize, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Chouilly).
