Henriot

Cuvée des Enchanteleurs 2015 | Bottle 75cl - Presentation pack

Description

Description & elaboration

The Cuvée des Enchanteleurs 2015 from Henriot is a wine drawn from six Grand Cru-classified villages. This champagne offers notes of acacia honey, candied citrus and frangipane, with a precisely sculpted texture on the palate. A gastronomic cuvée, ideal alongside fine fish or cream-based poultry dishes.

The Terroir

The Cuvée des Enchanteleurs is crafted from six Grand Cru-classified villages. On the Montagne de Reims, the communes of Verzy, Verzenay and Mailly-Champagne contribute Pinot Noirs to the blend, from terroirs with clay-limestone soils. On the Côte des Blancs, the villages of Avize, Chouilly and Le Mesnil-sur-Oger bring the purity and tension of Chardonnay to the cuvée.

Campanian chalk outcrops directly beneath the old vines. This porous sedimentary rock retains winter rainfall and irrigates the vine roots during the hottest summer months. The roots plunge several metres deep, drawing on minerality and freshness from depth.

Vinification

The blend brings together equal parts of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir — a profile that sets this cuvée apart from a Blanc de Pinots Noirs. Cellar master Laurent Fresnet oversaw the vinification of this 2015 harvest. He chose to vinify the musts in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation (the conversion of malic acid into the softer lactic acid) was carried out to round out the structure.

The wine then rests in bottle within the House's chalk cellars. This ageing on lees extends for a period of 120 months. Autolysis (the slow breakdown of yeasts that enriches the wine with tertiary aromas) defines the smoky, brioche-like character of the cuvée. Alice Tétienne, the current cellar master, oversees the disgorgement stage. Each bottle is then protected in its rigid cardboard gift box.

The 2015 Vintage

The 2015 growing season recorded above-average sunshine levels in Champagne compared to the previous decade. The vegetative cycle passed through a dry period from mid-May to mid-August. Late August rainfall then revived berry ripening ahead of a harvest that began in the first week of September.

As a result, the Chardonnays delivered remarkable straightness and tension, while the Pinot Noirs revealed great density and aromatic intensity.

Tasting Notes

• Appearance

  The golden yellow colour is enlivened by copper-tinted highlights. The effervescence releases steady streams of fine bubbles.

• Nose

  The first nose opens on notes of mirabelle plum and dried apricot. With aeration, acacia honey and frangipane emerge, punctuated by a hint of toasted hazelnut.

• Palate

  The attack displays a frank, chalky salinity. The silky texture unfolds around pink grapefruit aromas. The finish lingers on persistent citrus zest.

Pairing Suggestions

Aperitif Bites

• Comté cheese gougères
• Smoked salmon toasts
• Seared scallops

Main Courses

• Roasted line-caught sea bass
• Breton lobster with butter
• Poularde à la crème

Cheese and Desserts

• Aged Comté
• Beaufort d'alpage
• Extra-aged Parmesan

The Plus de Bulles Expert's Opinion

Advice

How to store this champagne?

Plus de Bulles ships this bottle (75 cl) in reinforced packaging specially designed for champagne transport. Upon receipt, we recommend storing the bottle on its side, away from light — ideally in a cellar, or at the very least in a cool, not too dry place with a relatively stable temperature.

The cardboard gift box provides additional physical protection for the glass and reduces thermal shock during transit.

Ageing Potential

The Cuvée des Enchanteleurs 2015 from Henriot is set on a remarkable ageing trajectory, driven by its 120 months of maturation in the chalk cellars. This champagne offers a cellaring potential of around 20 years.

• Until 2030: the cuvée expresses candied yellow citrus, acacia honey and frangipane in all their freshness.
• From 2031: the profile shifts towards more assertive notes of frangipane, dried fruits and smoky nuances.
• Around 2045: the evolution reveals touches of undergrowth, white truffle and gentle spice.

Serving Suggestions

The recommended serving temperature is 10 °C. Uncork the bottle 15 minutes before serving. This initial aeration releases the first aromas of the cuvée. A tulip-shaped glass concentrates the full olfactory spectrum.

A Story Behind This Cuvée

The name refers to the cellar workers of Champagne in the 19th century. The enchanteleurs physically manoeuvred oak casks through underground galleries, stacking full barrels on wooden trestles. The label of this edition pays tribute to them.

The 120-month ageing creates a radically different profile from the Blanc de Blancs from Maison Henriot, which is built entirely around Chardonnay.

This extended lees ageing is also found in the rosé champagne cuvée from the House, whose blend incorporates a proportion of still red wines.