Charles Heidsieck's prestige cuvée is a blend of pure Chardonnay from just five different Crus: Avize for verve and minerality; Cramant for complexity and ageability; Le Mesnil-sur-Oger for balance; Oger for creaminess and weight; and Vertus for floral freshness. An absolute masterpiece from the Côte des Blancs, this cuvée spends more than fifteen years maturing in the heart of Charles Heidsieck's two-thousand-year-old chalk cellars. Such an outstanding creation deserves an exceptional case: the gift box, which mirrors the curves of the crayères cellars after which it is named (Blanc des Millénaires, or 'White of Millenia'), echoes the nobility of this location where nothing counts except time itself.
Weather: The 2006 vintage was a year of mixed weather. It began with a rainy spell and late spring, but with little or no frost in the vineyards. Early summer was positive, with the months of June and July creating perfect conditions for flowering. Although there were some storms in late-July, the overall health of the vines was great since the weather remained hot through to the harvest with spells of rain in August promoting even healthier grapes.
Technical Information:
Vineyards: Grand Cru | Avize, Cramant, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Oger & 1er Cru Vertus
Grape Varieties: 100% Chardonnay
Ageing: 11 years on the lees
Disgorged: February 2019
Dosage: 9 g/l
Cork:
Mytik Diam Technological
Drink: Now to 2030
Tasting Note: Essi Avellan MW 94-96/100 - September 2020
The sixth creation of Blanc des Millénaires combines fruit from four grand cru villages (Oger, Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, Cramant and Avize) with Chardoonnay from the premier cru of Vertus. True to the sunny and warm year 2006, the wine comes with deep golden hued colour already upon launch. The nose is distinctly tropical with Charles Heidsieck’s hallmark toastiness emerging quickly in the glass. Beautiful coffee tones alongside candied lemon, baked pineapple and complex floral tones. The fruitiness is laudably clean and bright. The palate is round but soon after the initial feeling of richness, the wine’s minerality and high acidity kick in. The finish turns out to be long, pure and seemingly dry. An instantly open and generous Blanc des Millénaires with more complexity arising over time.