L’inattendue 2016

The name L’Inattendue means unexpected and is intended as a wine where winemakers are most surprised by style in the highest quality class. Henriot’s new baby from the light but elegant vintage 2016 is an ultra-clean and intense Avize Blanc de Blancs from four locations in completely different parts of the municipality (Les Regards, Les Avats, Les Chanteraines and Les Roches) made on a steel tank and with a low dosage of 4 grams of sugar. Spontaneously, I loved the wine at my first meeting as, despite its youthful restrained style right from the start, it is very reminiscent of the masterpiece Cuve 38. Perhaps not so surprising considering that these vineyards are an important part of the famous magnum made as a solera. Salt-sprinkled and flinty mineral elegance, lime, magnolia, lemon zest dominate, but there is also an enveloping buttery richness and silky texture that gives a feeling of maturity in the middle of its youthful beauty. Lovely irritating as a spring breeze now, but even more delicious in ten years in a good cellar. A large and ultra-elegant wine reminiscent of the most subtle wines from Puligny-Montrachet.

As opposed to the Henriot’s traditional culture of blending, in 2016 Gilles de Larouzière decided to capture the beauty of the year by bottling one of its best expressions as a single-varietal, single-village wine. L’Inattendue 2016 from four vineyards in Avize is a great first tribute to ‘The Unexpected’ terroirs of Henriot in a series that will from now on highlight similar memorable terroir expressions each year: Very fine nose with chalky restraint underneath extremely pure and transparent fruitiness. Ripe lemon and lemon confit notes meet the richness of tropical nuances, licorice and vanilla. On the palate the lazer-like precision is further accentuated by the wine’s fine, focused acid line and scintillatingly energetic feel. Youthful still yet there is further richness building up. The wine’s freshness, intensity and perfectly pure aromatics promise it a fine future.

A deeply expressive and refined Grand Cru Champagne with remarkable complexity and elegance; the nose reveals baked citrus, orchard fruit and white peach, layered with toasted brioche, almond and chalky mineral notes. On the palate, it is medium to full-bodied with vibrant acidity and a creamy, textured mousse, offering rich fruit framed by saline tension and subtle spice. The finish is long, layered and precise, with lingering citrus zest, minerality and gentle autolytic depth.