Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve NV Champagne 75cl

Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV contains a blend of 40% reserve wines (with an average age of ten years) and spends a minimum of three years ageing on the lees: twice the length required for a non-vintage. To achieve the depth and complexity of the House style, Charles Heidsieck then age their non-vintage for a further three years after disgorgement, again much longer than the legal requirement of just fifteen months. Chef de Cave, Cyril Brut sees the reserve wines used in the blending in two categories. 5-10 years old are 'vin medicines' - 'doctor wines', added to the blend, they affect the acidity, whilst the older reserve wines, 10-20 years old are 'vins d'épices' - 'spice wines' added for complexity and intensity. It is this large proportion of mature reserve wines and the extra ageing process that makes Brut Réserve NV one of the world's best non-vintage champagnes - often compared in quality to the prestige cuvées of other producers.

We are currently selling Charles Heidsieck Brut Réserve NV based on 2010, so 60% of the assemblage is from 2010 and the other 40% is a blend of reserves wines from older vintages.

Wine Competition Trophies:
The Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships 2016 - World Champion Classic Non-Vintage Brut Blend

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand & Premier Cru | 60 Crus | Chardonnay: Oger | Pinot Noir: Ambonnay | Pinot Meunier: Verneuil
Grape Varieties: 40% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 20% Pinot Meunier
Base Vintage: 2010
Reserve Wine: 40%
Ageing: 6 years on the lees
Disgorged: 2016
Dosage: 10 g/l
Cork: Mytik Diam Technological
Drink: Now to 2030

Tasting Note: Pale gold with fine and persistent bubbles, this has wonderfully complex aromas of ripe apricot and almond. On the palate it's extremely creamy, rich and fresh and also surprisingly nutty - likely a consequence of the age and high percentage of reserve wines. This is without doubt one of the best non-vintages around.

Of the three Champagne houses named Heidsieck - all originating from families once related - Charles is the smallest and arguably, the best. Established in 1851 by the nephew of Piper-Heidsieck's owner, Charles Heidsieck himself was the original 'Champagne Charlie'. He gained the nickname during his travels around America in the mid-19th Century - a country whose introduction to Champagne is credited to Charles. Today, production occurs alongside sister company Piper-Heidsieck in an ultra-modern functional cuverie on the southern outskirts of Reims.

Charles Heidsieck champagnes have a rich history of being served at various infamous events; it was the chosen Champagne of the European royalty in the late 1800s; a photograph from Robert Falcon Scott's fated expedition to Antarctica shows the party drinking Charles Heidsieck at their Christmas dinner; in 1977 the house produced a special vintage for the Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II and in 1981 a 'Royal Wedding Cuvée' was served to celebrate the marriage of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

Cellar Master: Cyril Brun
Winery Location: Reims | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Montagne de Reims
Annual Production (bottles): 1,000,000

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10 Things Every Wine Lover Should Know About Charles Heidsieck wine-searcher.com, 15th Feb 2016

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When Charles Heidsieck was born in 1822, his uncle – who married into the Piper family – was running the Champagne House Piper-Heidsieck. Charles grew up in the vineyards and gained experience at his uncle’s business, but his ambitious winemaking philosophy led him to found his own Champagne House in Reims in 1851. He was so proud of his Champagne that he named it after himself and Charles Heidsieck Champagne was born.

A year later, having found success in Europe, Charles took the brave decision to travel over the water to the USA to sell his wares. Here, he was one of the first to introduce Champagne successfully to the country. His vivacious personality gave him notoriety and popularity and he famously became known as ‘Champagne Charlie’. Charlie had an eventful few years in America, including being imprisoned in Louisiana on suspicion of being a spy during the Civil War. He was eventually freed by President Lincoln himself and then returned to settle in Champagne.

Unlike his peers, Charles viewed himself as a blender and not a grower and spent most of his money investing in forty-seven underground chalk cellars dating back to the 11th century, instead of purchasing land. He began buying grapes from trusted grower families with expertise in perfecting the care of their vines going back generations. The company now has 60 separate sites to choose from, encompassing a variety of different Crus, and some of these plots are cultivated by the fourth or fifth generation of the same family.

Charles Heidsieck is a hand-crafted champagne. The intricacies of its complex make-up have been perfected over the years by one of the most celebrated winemaking teams in Champagne. Between three winemakers they have been awarded Sparkling Winemaker of the Year at the International Wine Challenge twelve times, an award no other house has won more than twice!

The flagship cuvée, Brut Réserve, is the house’s masterpiece. Many years in the making, the wine is a blend of 60 of the best vineyards and harvests going back more than 15 years. It is aged in the House’s Roman chalk cellars under Reims, which provide an ideal environment to age the wine, having a unique combination of constant temperature, high humidity levels and no sound, light or vibration to disturb the wines. The non-vintage champagne is made with painstaking attention to detail - Charles Heidsieck are famed throughout Champagne for their immense range of over 400 reserve wines. Once the team has decided on the blend, the wine is typically aged for six years on its lees which adds a richness and complexity unrivalled in any other non-vintage champagne.

Since 2011, the company has been owned by the Descours family – a very positive move ensuring the company remains family-run with a long-term vision for the future. In early 2015, Cyril Brun took over as Cellar Master, having been assistant winemaker for many years at Veuve Clicquot.