Piper-Heidsieck Rare 1988 Champagne 75cl

Piper-Heidsieck Rare is a truly unique prestige cuvée. In the summer of 1976, an unprecedented heatwave struck France, the likes of which the Champagne region had never experienced before. Piper-Heidsieck's winemaking team began to wonder: could it be possible to create a cuvée given the remarkable conditions? Taming the natural forces was no easy task and when assemblage was complete and the final blend bottled, the team were so proud of the final product, they called it Rare. A testament to exceptional vintages where nature unleashes its forces, Rare cuvées are only produced in supernatural years. Piper-Heidsieck Rare 1998 is only the fifth vintage of Piper-Heidseick Rare ever created.

Weather: The 1988 vintage was a late, rainy season with a good yield and perfect acidity. Generally considered a very good vintage, champagnes from this year are typically full-bodied and will remain in a condition of wonderful balance for a long time to come. Harvesting began relatively late: September 26th for the Pinot Noir and Meunier and September 27th for the Chardonnay. An average 9.3 alcohol level and 9.6 g/L acidity at harvest time resulted in a balance that can be characterised as taut.

A re-release in 2017 of the original 1994 disgorgement.

Technical Information:
Vineyards: 100% Grand Cru | Chardonnay: Avize, Chouilly, Oger, Trépail, Villers-Marmery | Pinot Noir: Ambonnay, Ludes, Verzy
Grape Varieties: 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir
Ageing: 5 years on the lees
Disgorged: 1994
Dosage: 10 g/l
Drink: Now to 2030+

Tasting Note: A golden colour with lovely nutty aromas on the nose, the palate is bold with hints of cinnamon and brioche, a well balanced and develop champagne with plenty of fruits and energy. The finish is long with apples and honey right through to the end.

Piper-Heidsieck's roots trace back to Florens-Louis Heidsieck, who created the original company of Heidsieck & Co to pursue his ambition of “creating a cuvée worthy of a queen”. He fulfilled his dream perhaps earlier than anyone could have expected: once Marie Antoinette had tasted his creation, she became the first Heidsieck & Co ambassador. Florens-Louis’ nephew, Christian Heidsieck joined the venture alongside Guillaume Piper and once Florens-Louis died in 1828, the duo decided to continue the adventure side by side, founding Champagne Piper-Heidsieck.

Today, production occurs alongside sister company Charles Heidsieck in an ultra-modern functional cuverie on the southern outskirts of Reims. Their characteristics differ quite considerably, with Piper opting for a fruitier and lighter style of base wines. In recent times, the House has shifted from royal accolades to becoming a favourite amongst celebrity stars. Indeed, the legendary Marilyn Monroe famously declared in 1953: “I go to bed with a few drops of Chanel No. 5 and I wake up each morning to a glass of Piper-Heidsieck; it warms me up.”

The prestige cuvée Rare Champagne became its own brand in September 2018. Previously labelled, marketed and sold under the Piper-Heidsieck name, Rare Champagne is now managed and labelled independently. Previous Piper-Heidsieck Cellar Master Régis Camus has subsequently assumed the new role of Cellar Master for Rare Champagne.

Rare Champagne Cellar Master: Régis Camus
Winery Location: Reims | Champagne, France
Champagne Region: Montagne de Reims
Annual Production (bottles): 8,000,000

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Champagne Piper-Heidsieck began with Florens-Louis Heidsieck, who created the original company of Heidsieck & Co in 1785. Originally his idea was to “create a cuvée worthy of a queen” and once Marie Antoinette had tasted his creation his dream was realised, as she became the first Heidsieck & Co ambassador. In 1815, Florens-Louis’ nephew, Christian Heidsieck joined the company alongside Henri-Guillaume Piper and upon Florens-Louis’ death in 1828, the duo decided to continue the adventure side by side, forming Champagne Piper-Heidsieck.

The House went from strength to strength during the 1800s, according the privilege of royal warrant holder from no less than fourteen royal and imperial courts, some as far afield as China. A milestone was reached in 1885 and to celebrate Piper-Heidsieck’s centennial, Pierre Karl Fabergé - star jeweller of Russian Tsar Alexander III - designed a bottle adorned with gold, diamonds and lapis lazuli. This marked the beginning of a partnership between the House and the world’s greatest jewellers and the ornate design is still seen on bottles of Piper-Heidsieck’s prestige cuvée Rare today.

This success continued throughout the 20th Century, which saw Piper-Heidsieck become Hollywood’s champagne of choice. Indeed, the legendary Marilyn Monroe famously declared in 1953: “I go to bed with a few drops of Chanel No. 5 and I wake up each morning to a glass of Piper-Heidsieck; it warms me up.”

Today, the winemaking team is led by Cellar Master Régis Camus, who has been with the House since 1994. The signature of Piper-Heidsieck champagne has always been their preference for Pinot Noir, accounting for the balanced, structured and powerful style for which their blends are famed. Their prestige cuvée, Rare, was first produced in 1976 when an unprecedented heat wave struck the region. Following the philosophy that an extraordinary event should produce an extraordinary cuvée, Rare vintages are only declared in years “where Nature unleashes its forces”.

Always striving for innovation and progression, Piper-Heidsieck opened their impressive modern winery with over 200 stainless steel wine vats in 1995 and their newly designed contemporary headquarters were revealed in 2008.