This document provides an overview of Champagne house Henri Abelé, which was founded in 1757 and is located in Reims, France. It summarizes the house's history, terroir-focused approach, commitment to craftsmanship, and portfolio of cuvées including its prestige cuvée Sourire de Reims. The document also highlights Henri Abelé's selective distribution, awards and ratings, partnerships with chefs and artists, and promotional materials and initiatives.
6. A champaign deeply rooted in history
Founded in 1757, It is the third oldest Champagne House
1728 Ruinart
1743 Moët
1757 Vander Veken-ABELÉ
1772 Clicquot
1785 Heidsieck
1798 Jacquesson
1811 Perrier - Jouët
1827 Mumm
1828 Lanson
1829 Bollinger
Henri Abelé
7. T
… intimately linked with Reims’ historical heritage
he “Sourire de Reims” or “Ange au Sourire” is the statue
representing a smiling angel that you can admire in the beautiful
Reims Cathedral.
This cathedral is highly symbolic because French kings were crowned
there in sumptuous ceremonies.
The concern for preserving local listed monuments by Henri Abelé
dates from before 1st WW, when Maison Abelé contributed to
restoration funding of «L’Ange au Sourire» that had been decapitated
during a fire in 1914.
This sculpture came to symbolize the city of Reims and its
renaissance.
This world-famous icon also became the Champagne firm’s emblem
in 1918 and the name of one of its premium cuvee.
Maison Abelé’s dedication to Reims patrimony continued after second
World War. Maison Abelé contributed funding to renovate the Reims
cathedral which had unfortunately been bombed, through the
“Société des Amis de la Cathédrale” foundation.
8. A “Boutique” champagne house with a human scale
A Champagne local born and bred, cellar master Franck Nicaise combines a profound respect for the
region’s traditions with a constant commitment to innovation.
The human scale of Maison Henri Abelé allows us to maintain total control over the creation of our
wines, crafting our champagnes with the precision and patience of a goldsmith.
Determined to make each “cuvee” unique, Maison Henri Abelé maintains a strict limit on the volume of
wines produced.
Franck Nicaise video
9. 250 years of craftsmen’s know how
Since 1757, the company’s approach has
always been that of craftsmen, priding
themselves on a job well done according to the
highest standards.
Maison Abelé has two kilometres of
underground cellars dug out of solid chalk in the
heart of Reims.
Devotion to excellence is natural in these
ancient vaulted cellars.
10. The art of collectioning terroirs
Maison Henri Abelé has made its lack of vines one of its greatest strengths.
The house is free to select its grapes from the region’s finest terroirs, allowing a precise plot-by-plot
vinification process.
Through generations of shared passion and hard work, the house has built up a network of close, loyal
relationships with small vine-growers, selected for their commitment to quality.
In order to ensure consistency of style, these selections take place under loyalty contracts binding the house
of Henri Abelé and the finest vine-growers in the Côte des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims.
11. The art of tailored blending
One of the primary characteristics of the Henri Abelé style has
to do with its precision in wine production, and its choice in
blending wines at their perfect maturity.
The new winery and large collection of small vats allow the most
suitable blends possible with a variety-by-variety and terroir-by- terroir
vinification…
Reaping the benefits of this terroir-by-terroir approach to vinification,
the house’s peerless blending expertise has been passed down and
honed from generation to generation, evolving into a genuine art and
guaranteeing the unique, distinctive character of Abelé champagnes.
12. The art of the long game
Although it is technically possible to bottle the wines as early as January, at Maison
Henri Abelé we prefer to keep working patiently on the blend until April, not bottling until
June.
The result is a vinification process which respects the crucial contribution of time.
In the cool surroundings of our historic cellars, the champagnes are laid down for several years in
order to reach peak maturity.
The house has aslo formed close partnerships, spanning several decades, with the expert
winegrowers who ensure the consistent excellence and distinctive style of Abelé champagnes,
crafted with patience and humility.
13. Innovation as an heritage
The company was one of the pioneers in making and
distributing champagne, a unique wine born at the
beginning of the 18th century and considered the drink of
Kings.
Since the beginning of the 19th century, the Maison has made
a great contribution to the improvement of what would come to
be known as the “méthode champenoise”, participating in the
development of the riddling table.
In 1884, Henri Abelé, who returned to take over the family
business in 1876, established the ice disgorging process
that is used to this day. This high quality standard and the
champagne passion was passed down through the
generations.
In 2007, Franck Nicaise ‘s arrival coincided with a technical
overhaul which was essential to the future of Maison Henri
Abelé, a major investment which saw the installation of a
new fleet of small stainless-steel vinification vats.
15. Non Vintage
Henri Abele’s range
The house offers a broad range of products to appeal to wine lovers of all
persuasions: from the classic brut to “prestige cuvees”.
Vintage Premium Vintages
16. Henri Abele’s style : between classicism and modernity
The distinctive style of Abelé champagnes is based on a harmonious balance of freshness and substance, elegance and
complexity.
Brut Rosé Blanc de Blancs Vintage Sourire de Reims RoséSourire de Reims Brut
17. HENRI ABELÉ, “A FRENCH TOUCH”
RECOGNIZED AND LOVED
BY CONNOISSEURS
18. In order to retain control over our image and reflect our commitment to the tradition of great service, we choose our
commercial partners with great care.
We prefer to deal with professionals who take the time to work , appreciate and share the passion and true efforts
which go into our wines.
As such Henri Abelé champagnes are distributed exclusively via traditional channels in France, and are not available in
French multiples.
A selective & premium distribution
19. Maison Henri Abelé has long been an official supplier to the royal courts of Europe
(Belgium, Spain), and to this day remains the champagne
of choice of the leading institutions
of the French Republic, including the “Senat” and various embassies.
A Champagne House with a growing reputation
in France and around the world
20. Henri Abelé is enjoyed all around the world
Champagne Henri Abelé is enjoyed in France, Spain, Belgium, the United States
Canada, Mexico, China, Singapore, Korea, South-Africa and many other countries worldwide.
It is proudly listed at such prestigious establishments
as the Hotel Formentor in Mallorca, l’Assiette Champenoise in France and the Casino in Montréal.
21. The Moulin Rouge champagne !
Each year, Champagne Henri Abelé is among the exclusive
group of wines to meet the rigorous selection requirements of
the head sommelier at this celebrated French institution.
“Champagne is the star of the stars,
since in this celebrated cabaret more than 240 000
bottles are consumed every year ! Each different
occasion deserves a vintage selected by our chief
sommelier from the very best wineries.”
The Moulin Rouge
22. A Champagne House with a growing reputation
in France and around the world
Henri Abelé can boast no fewer than 35 Michelin stars in France !
Our champagnes are served in some of France’s most prestigious restaurants, including L’Assiette
Champenoise (3 stars), Guy Savoy (3 stars), l’Arpège (3 stars)…
23. Henri Abelé wants to promote French Craftsmanship
Food pairing and Valentines’s day
exclusive limited edition by pastry chef
Eric Sontag.
Limited edition with
Olivier Juteau
(glass maker)
Limited Edition with
Nicolas Bernardé
(pastry chef, “Meilleur
Ouvrier de France”).
Henri Abelé supports artistic creation and
excellencein craftsmanship, and is proud to champion
a new generation of talented French creators.
27. Sourire de Reims, appreciated champagne of great de tasters in
2016
Tasting by Andreas Larsson:
« Not the most well-known, but a really great
prestige cuvée: in this complicated vintage, the
colored rosé, vinous and smooth, plays with
finesse a complicated partition ».
18/20
Tasting by Bettane & Desseauve :
“ Very vibrant mousse, but rather tiny
bubbles. The nose is intense and
generous. Quite vinous style, there is
some hints of lees ageing. Some hints of
croissant. A long-lasting and persistent
finish in a quite personal style with
plenty of fruit and richness”
28. Henri Abelé qualitative press coverage
The champagnes of Maison Abelé have earned praise from the most respected wine journalists
68 articles in 2015, reaching a readership of 77 million !
2016 started pretty well with already nice articles :
Sourire de Reims Rosé 2003 / L’Express :
“This outstanding cuvee of an atypical vintage is product exclusively with pinot noir coming from Riceys village and a short soaking process
(from 36 to 48 hours) which make it unique. A powerful and robust wine which after ten years maturing in the cellars first releases aromas of
red fruits (strawberry, raspberry) and then spiciest ones (white pepper).”
Sourire de Reims Rosé 2003 / Résidences décorations “Rosé is the new chic” :
“Unusual cuvee with a powerful attack leading to spicy notes.”
Sourire de Reims Rosé 2003 / Terres de vin :
“ If it was a CD, it would be a lyric diva, such as Maria Callas interpreting Norma ! Fushia satin robe with bronze tints. The nose and the
palate are full of powerful aromas of blackcurrant liquor, amaretto cherries, bitter cocoa and dry fruits. Despite the exceptional aromatic
power, the timber is precise and the final note crystalline. Dare the symphony of a Black Forest Cake or a “Reine de Sabah” candied
orange- black chocolate cake.”
30. How we can help you to build the brand
INCREASE
AWARENESS AND
VISIBILITY OF THE
BRAND
GIFT BOX FULL RANGE
SPECIAL GIFT BOX FOR
SOURIRE DE REIMS
POSM
PR COMMUNICATION
ENCOURAGE
CONSUMERS’ TRIAL
PROMOTIONAL KITS
IN-STORE TASTINGS
GIFT OPPORTUNITIES
POSM TO COMMUNICATE
ON SCORES & AWARDS
DEVELOP
DISTRIBUTION OF
THE BRAND
STRATEGIC CUSTOMERS
(WINE STORES, RESTAURANTS)
INCENTIVE PLANS
35. Sourire de Reims special gift box
A PREMIUM GIFT BOX WITH 1 BOTTLE + 2 CHAMPAGNE GLASSES
36. Henri Abelé POSM
RESERVATION
BOOK
ROLL UP
STOPPER
ICE BUCKET
EASEL
BRUT
ROSE
METAL EASEL
« RÉSERVÉ »
POSTER
40X60 CM
BOWL
FLUTE
10 CL
FLUTE
14 CL
PREMIUM
28.5 CL APRON
RIGID FRAME
40X60 CM
44. Many press articles about this type of partnership
Le Figaro TV mag
1 298 000 contacts
Elle.fr
2 296 000 contacts
FirstLuxe.com
1 062 577 contacts
Questions de Femmes
80 217 contacts
Regal
792 000 contacts
45. Example of special tasting operation
Wine and food pairings realized by
Arnaud Lallement,
Chef de L’Assiette Champenoise,
3 stars in Guide Michelin
4 receipes with 4 cuvées Henri Abelé
Links of the videos published on the Gault & Millau Youtube channel and on Henri Abelé one:
Relayed at the end of 2015
In the special gastronomy edition
46. A limited edition « Toile de Jouy » in 2015
Henri Abelé imagines a limited edition from the 2007 Vintage by modernizing and reinterpreting the
traditional « Toile de Jouy ».
47. Important press coverages on this limited edition
Gault et Millau
October-November 2015
Libération
December 2015
Carnet de bulles
December 2015
48. Henri Abelé, the choice of an authentic house, between
tradition and modernity
and modernity
