CHARLES HEIDSIECK

Charles Heidsieck’s provenance is immense, with the energetic, extroverted Charles-Camille Heidsieck, made famous in the song Champagne Charlie, founding Charles Heidsieck in 1851. The wines are matured 25 metres underground in chalk cellars dating back to the 11th Century; they represent some of the most underrated and exquisite champagnes ever made.

Charles Heidsieck’s Brut Réserve is defined by the house itself as an equation of 60/40/10. The 60 represents the number of crus that go into the blend, although this has been reduced in recent years as the quality has been elevated to new levels. 40 signifies the proportion of reserve wines in the blend. The skill involved in making a non-vintage wine is in the blending, with the ultimate goal a consummate and consistent house style. This proportion of reserve wines is, comparatively, very high. The 10 represents the average age of the reserve wines.

The end result is a cuvée that is toasty, complex and, while a non-vintage style intended for immediate drinking, capable of aging in the bottle for up to ten years. The disgorgement date can be found on the bottle and allows you to monitor this. The Blanc de Blancs NV is new to the range and was launched in 2018. The house is not new to this style though, having been one of the first to produce a champagne exclusively from Chardonnay in 1949 via their flagship cuvée, Blanc de Millénaires.