Ethereal 2008 From Henriot

Much has been written about the greatness of the 2008 vintage, and for good reason. This fabulous growing season was in many ways a repeat of 1996, with sunny days throughout the closing weeks before harvest, but very cool night-time temperatures giving the wines incredible ripeness while preserving very high acidity. Twelve years later, these wines are starting to shine even brighter as they start to develop the leesy depth and brioche richness that only time can bring. It is wonderful to taste one like the lovely 2008 Henriot we had last week, and even better that it is still available for sale.

For my birthday, my wife Cinnamon bought me a white truffle from Alba, and on Sunday night we decided it was time to eat it up. While we thought that we would just open this bottle of 2008 Henriot "Millésimé" Brut Champagne for the aperitif, we were immediately struck by how the wine was truffle-like in its own right… and we carried on with it throughout the meal—it was a great pairing. This wine is composed of half each Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, although, if I had been given it blind, I might have mistaken if for Blanc de Blancs, given its lovely lemon-curd zing and white-chalk minerality. It is a dry Champagne, dosed at just six grams per liter—a low enough dosage to qualify for the extra brut designation; but, again, tasting blind one would not guess that this very well-balanced wine had less sugar than most dry bruts. It is sourced from just 10 grand and premier cru villages.

I was astounded by the nuanced and delicate style of this Champagne, which had a complexity that was there when you wanted to look for it, but in a package that was so light and easy to drink that it just made the evening better without any effort other than pouring it. The subtle truffle flavors worked perfectly in harmony with the Meyer lemon zip, the soft brioche in tandem with the chalk, and the great acidity in graceful accord with the rich texture. We had made egg pasta from scratch to shave the truffles over, with Parmesan, pasta water, and great French butter being the only other ingredients. With the food, the Henriot had more power than the bottle of Volnay that we had open beside it… I would not of believed that if I had not been there. The finish was expansive and very, very long. What a treat.

One thing that I don’t think anyone will ever say is “I bought too much 2008 Champagne for my cellar.” These wines are in the pocket at 12 years, but have a lot of potential for further aging. Even if you can only justify one bottle, it won’t let you down. This is special stuff.

A toast to you!

- Gary Westby