press kit - Champagnes Henri Abelé

PRESS KIT
Henri Abelé, crafting a new french
lifestyle
F
Founded in 1757, Henri Abelé is one of the oldest champagne
houses in Champagne. It is home to an age-old “savoir-faire”; its
250-year-old heritage combined with carefully considered choices,
guided by a love of champagne and the very highest standards.
This is a champagne house of integrity, one which has always remained
true to its convictions, eschewing the fads and fashions that have come
and gone in the Champagne region over the years. Henri Abelé made
the courageous decision to limit its production, refusing to sacrifice
quality for quantity; a conscious choice, allowing the Maison to produce
only the very best champagnes and to stay on a “human-scale”.
This principle naturally led to a philosophy which is conscientiously
upheld by an ideal: that of fine craftsmanship, characterized by quality
and high standards. This quest for excellence can be seen in the way
Henri Abelé makes its champagnes. From the non vintage brut to the
vintage cuvées prestiges, each champagne is the work of true craftsmanship.
A
An “artisan of time and blending”, the Maison Henri Abelé is
engaged in a relentless quest for precision. Its methods require
time, time to create the personality of its champagnes with infinite
patience. They demand disciplined work, every day, without
concession.
Each generation has built on this approach while preserving
these gems of French “savoir-faire”.
Far from being anchored in the past, the Maison Henri Abelé
is resolutely forward-looking, having survived the centuries and
handed down, through the generations, a unique ability to be
enterprising and innovative while respecting tradition. Its
methods are perpetuated and constantly perfected - a mindset
which was inspired by the personality of the founder. Henri
Abelé was a modern entrepreneur who helped shape the future
of champagne, yet he was also a lover of tradition, committed
to preserving heritage, especially that of the city of Reims which
he helped to restore.
After the First World War, Henri Abelé was one of the first
négociants to return to Reims and finance the rehabilitation of
the cathedral, whose most famous restoration was that of the
«Smiling Angel» statue, destroyed by fire in 1914. This statue
has become the exclusive emblem of the Maison Henri Abelé.
This is the reason why maintaining and perpetuating this
unique craftsmanship remains a major concern of the Maison
Henri Abelé to this day.
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The Maison has turned its lack of vineyards into
a strength. It is able to freely select and source
from the best terroirs. The Maison can be bold,
exploring, innovating, and shaping its production
as it sees fit, according to its requirements, from
among the endless possibilities offered by nature.
Henri Abelé has been working in close partnership
with “artisan-vignerons”, chosen for the quality of
their work, for over 30 years. These partnerships
are formalized by long-term contracts between the
Maison Henri Abelé and the most highly regarded
growers in the Côte des Blancs and the Grande
Montagne de Reims. This important close collaboration contributes to the continuity of the style and
excellence of the Henri Abelé champagnes.
The art of tailored
blending
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The Henri Abelé style can also be observed in
the blending of its champagnes. Since the new
vathouse was constructed in 2007, the Maison has
had a host of small vats allowing it to carry out
vinifications, by cru and by terroir, tailored to
the evolution of the wine. After this “terroir-byterroir” vinification, the blending becomes the work
of fine craftsmanship endowing the champagnes
with their unique character.
It is a masterpiece of balance in which each element has its place and upon which the Maison
Henri Abelé confers its unique style: like the work
of a composer, the creation is perfectly worked
and mastered.
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The art of
the long game
Achieving the exceptional requires patience! At Henri Abelé, the
distinctiveness of its champagne making is the result of late blending
at perfect maturity, and very long cellar-ageing - well beyond the
minimum ageing period required by the Champagne regulations.
Although bottling is legally permitted from January onwards, the Maison
Henri Abelé (like a sculptor who shapes his material with humility and
precision), continues to patiently shape its blends until April before
bottling in June. Henri Abelé then allows its champagnes the years of
repose they require to reach perfect maturity, resting in the coolness
and tranquility of its ancient chalk cellars, in the very heart of Reims.
Its non-vintage champagnes age a minimum of 2 to 3 years before
being released for sale. Its cuvées prestiges are usually matured in
cellar for 6 to 10 years. This is the moment when the creator has to
step back and let nature take its course. Nature alone can bring out
the sensuality of the fruit and the desired aromas. This is what makes
Henri Abelé champagnes so unique and so precious
.
FRANCK NICAISE
a cellar master
for love of the craft
WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO HENRI ABELÉ?
“ After gaining first-rate experience working as an oenologist
in Alsace, I ended up returning to my native Champagne in
1998, where I worked as an oenology consultant. I was initially
called in as a consultant by the Maison Henri Abelé, but I wanted
to be more directly involved in the company for several reasons.
Firstly, the company’s “human scale” allows me to participate
in the entire creative process: I am involved in all aspects of
quality, from the selection of the grapes to the shipping of the
bottles, and even beyond that, as I go out and champion our
champagnes with importers and consumers around the world.
I was also attracted by the fact that production is limited,
around 500,000 bottles per year, so the work is more akin to
that of a craftsman, for whom quality is the most important
factor and who can afford to take his time to achieve excellence.
This is a very attractive proposition for a cellar master, and even
more so as the company was about to completely renovate its
winery, there was no way I could refuse! ”.
WHAT ARE THE MAISON’S IMPORTANT
PRINCIPLES?
“ These start with the choice of the grapes. We work with
50-60 suppliers, who are mostly récoltants-manipulants. For
each cuvée, I select certain terroirs. The higher up the range
we go, the more we target the terroirs. For example, for
Sourire de Reims Brut, I decided to work with only with the
best crus from certain parcels in Côte des Blancs and the
Montagne de Reims and only in years when nature gives me
exceptional quality.
The second principle is to vinify the wines separately, varietal
by varietal, terroir by terroir, and then preserve them in the
very best conditions, which we are able to do with our large
number of small stainless steel vats. Allowing each terroir to
express itself to the full is a real strength. Then, from the large
number of terroirs vinified separately, I select the parcels that
will make up my creation. It’s painstaking work, where each
piece has to fit into the final composition.
Lastly, our style is created by patience. We give the base
wines the time they need to develop their full potential, before
we taste them individually from December to March to define
our blends. At Maison Henri Abelé, we have always blended
late, usually in April for bottling in June. ”
DOES THE MAISON HAVE ANY OTHER
SPECIFIC FEATURES?
“ One particular characteristic of the company is that it has
always been able to take the best of tradition, while applying
new techniques and ideas. Henri Abelé has always been bold
and innovative in spirit. Innovation has been the byword of
many generations: both in terms of the champagnes’ marketing
and the perfecting of the company’s technical processes.
We are constantly balancing heritage and modernity: for
example, we respect “the time of the wine”, as they did back
in the day, when vinification was governed by the seasons,
but we use ultra-modern stainless steel vats!
Another example Is that we are able to create very audacious
champagnes. The Sourire de Reims Rosé is a unique blend,
the culmination of a demanding process, from the selection
of grapes grown exclusively on the Les Riceys hillside, to the
maceration of whole bunches.
It is also no accident that we chose to present our Brut 2007
limited edition bottle in a modern, new-look “Toile de Jouy”
design. It’s an acknowledgement of the Henri Abelé spirit.
We want to convey and share the best that Champagne has
to offer, with a contemporary touch. ”
OUR CHAMPAGNES
The Maison produces a comprehensive
range of champagnes, from the brut
to the cuvées prestiges; in a style
that seeks to balance freshness and
density, elegance and complexity.
Brut
Non Vintage
Rosé
Non Vintage
Made from a selection of the best
Champagne crus.
Blanc de Blancs
Non Vintage
Brut
Vintage 2006
Brut
Vintage 2007
This cuvée is made exclusively from
Chardonnay grapes, primarily from the
Côte des Blancs. The Henri Abelé Blanc
de Blancs is aged for three years in its
chalk cellars.
This cuvée, produced in exceptional
years only, is patiently aged in the cool
of our ancient cellars. Once matured,
we allow it another year’s rest after
disgorging.
Made from Chardonnay grapes from
the Côte des Blancs and Pinot Noir
from the Montagne de Reims, this 2007
Brut reveals the full potential of this
excellent vintage. With its bottle arrayed
in a modern, joyful “Toile de Jouy” pattern,
this limited edition shows how the Maison
Henri Abelé is able to combine elegance,
tradition and creativity.
BLEND
40% Chardonnay
35% Pinot Noir
25% Pinot Meunier
BLEND
40% Pinot Noir
30% Chardonnay
30% Pinot Meunier
BLEND
100% Chardonnay,
mainly from the Côte
des Blancs.
BLEND
70% Chardonnay
30% Pinot Noir
BLEND
60% Chardonnay
40% Pinot Noir
TASTING NOTES
A distinctive pale golden hue with green
highlights with remarkably smooth bubbles,
floral notes and fruity accents. An extremely
elegant and distinguished champagne.
TASTING NOTES
A full-bodied champagne which offers all the
charm and appeal of a rosé with aromas of
flowers and wild fruit.
TASTING NOTES
The champagne opens with notes of white
flowers, hawthorn and acacia, and then allows
the Chardonnay to express itself to the full.
The palate shows great finesse and freshness
where mineral notes combine to create a very
intense and remarkably long-lingering finish.
TASTING NOTES
This cuvée is powerful and complex on the
nose. Lovely vinosity, combined with spicy
notes on the palate, give this champagne
subtlety and elegance, which will delight fans
of champagnes with a complex character.
TASTING NOTES
The champagne opens with peach and apricot
aromas joined by spicy notes of gingerbread,
honey and liquorice. Fresh on entry to the palate,
the Pinot Noir adds complexity along with
spicy notes. The discreet dosage preserves
the champagne’s fresh character.
AVAILABLE BOTTLE SIZES
Half bottles, bottles, magnums, jeroboams,
mathuselahs, salmanazars, balthazars, nebuchadnezzars
AVAILABLE BOTTLE SIZES
Half bottles, bottles
AVAILABLE BOTTLE SIZES
75cl bottles only
FAVAILABLE BOTTLE SIZES
75cl bottles and magnums
AVAILABLE BOTTLE SIZES
75cl bottles only - limited edition of 5,000
units
Sourire de Reims
Vintage 2007
Sourire de Reims
Rosé Vintage 2003
To create the Sourire de Reims Brut, the
Maison selects the finest Chardonnay and
Pinot Noir crus from the Côte des Blancs
and Montagne de Reims, in exceptional years
only. This champagne will then acquire its
mature aromas and broad array of flavours
during a long sojourn in our ancient cellars.
This is a bold cuvée crafted from a single grape
variety and a single terroir, the Pinot Noir from
Les Riceys, which has undergone very careful
vinification. This exceptional cuvée is the result
of a short maceration process (36 to 48 hours)
which gives it a unique style. The Sourire de
Reims is aged for almost ten years in our cellars,
followed by six to twelve months further ageing
after disgorging.
BLEND
60% Chardonnay
40% Pinot Noir
BLEND
A blend unique to
Henri Abelé: 100% Pinot Noir
from Les Riceys
TASTING NOTES
Very elegant and fine on the nose, dominated by the
Chardonnay. Straightforward and clean on entry to the
palate, the Pinot Noir brings complexity, structure and
maturity, along with spicy notes of cloves and liquorice.
The discreet dosage preserves this cuvée’s freshness and
exceptionally long-lingering flavours.
TASTING NOTES
This unique champagne with a beautiful salmon-pink hue
opens with powerful red fruit aromas, gradually giving way
to spicy notes. Delicate on entry to the palate, the Pinot Noir
comes through beautifully, revealing a powerful, robust
and supple champagne. The complex, long-lingering finish
completes the balance of this outstanding cuvée, ideal for
those very special occasions.
AVAILABLE BOTTLE SIZES
Bottles and magnums
AVAILABLE BOTTLE SIZES
75cl bottles only
HENRI ABELÉ
50 rue de Sillery 51100 Reims - France
Tél : +33 (0) 3 26 87 79 80
www.henriabele.com
PRESS CONTACT: AGENCE ALBINE & CO
Charlotte Walter & Anne-Sophie Bailly
c.walter@albineco.com / as.bailly@albineco.com
01 58 18 35 25