Residence Eisenhower
Chef de Cave Emilien Boutillat
Rare Millesime 2013
Régis “The Man with All The Secrets” Camus
Rare 1988: “Remarkably vibrant, with impressive length and balance.” 18/20
The 20-year secret project from Camus: Rare Le Secret
Emilien Boutillat and Essi Avellan MW
Residence Eisenhower dining room
Champagne Rare Vertical
On 27th April 2026 a remarkable full vertical took place of Champagne Rare at Residence Eisenhower, Reims, guided by Emilien Boutillat, chef de cave since 2018. The residence is one of the cities most historically significant buildings, a place long associated with diplomacy, leadership and pivotal moments in modern European history.
This extraordinary tasting, spanning nearly four decades, included every vintage of Champagne Rare (excluding Rosè) made since the first in 1976. Champagne Rare is always a blend of 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, with the Crus that contribute grapes changing year-on-year to reflect the strengths of each particular vintage. Rare vintages typically have lots of tropical fruit, like mango, pineapple, ripe lemon and hints of coconut. A high percentage of the Chardonnay is unusually from Montagne de Reims, particularly Villers-Marmery, a village where the Chardonnay is famous for its tropical spicy notes. For the Pinot Noir, Verzy is often a core component.
When you taste through the entire flight the DNA is unmistakable: precision, salinity, citrus tension, and a signature interplay of tropical and toasty notes, evolving into profound complexity with age. The Pinot Noir, often not obvious, adding that weight in the mid-palate.
The brand started with the 1976 as Piper-Heidsieck Rare and from 2019 this became Champagne Rare. These are the vintages, which the chef de caves, of which there has been four to date, rate as exceptional years: 1976, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013 & 2015.
| Rare 2015 | 17/20 Lees Ageing: 9 Years | Disgorged: Feb 2025 | Dosage: 10g/l Not a vintage I warm to! A notably dry and hot vintage, with significant heat spikes in summer creating early sugar ripeness but delayed phenolic and aromatic maturity. The wine opens with citrus, plum, pineapple, and passion fruit, alongside a subtle herbaceous edge. On the palate, there is clear concentration, yet also a firm bitterness on the finish. With air, toasty notes begin to emerge, but the structure remains dominant. A powerful yet slightly austere expression at this stage. Drink Now & for 5 years. |
| Rare 2012 | 18/20 Lees Ageing: 10 Years | Disgorged: 2024 | Dosage: 7g/l Unusually released after the Rare 2013 – A more precise and vertical style, showing citrus purity with orange and lime alongside tropical hints. The palate is super concentrated and mouth-watering, with pronounced salinity and length. Still tight and youthful, with a lot of toasty & lees nuances just emerging. Currently slightly less expressive than the 2013. Versus the 2013 I feel this will age the faster of the two years. Lets see in ten years! Drink Now to late 2030’s |
| Rare 2013 | 18.5+/20 Lees Ageing: 14 Years | Disgorged: 2023 | Dosage: 9 g/l From a cooler year, this is highly restrained and structured, with bitter orange, coconut, citrus and almond notes layered over intense chalky minerality. There is a striking saline, almost iodine-like character, giving both tension and freshness. A wine of precision and longevity, sitting stylistically alongside the 2012 but with a touch more purity, hence my conclusions on ageing. Drink now to 2040++ |
| Rare 2008 | 18.5/20 Lees Ageing: 10 Years | Disgorged: 2022 | Dosage: 9 g/l Still youthful and reserved aromatically, with toast, coconut, spice and nutty lees character. The palate shows bright salinity, freshness and balance, with the beginnings of tertiary complexity. Just entering its maturity phase, with lees-driven depth becoming more apparent over time in the glass. There is a lot going on with texture here and that lightness, yet concentration and intriguing wine to watch. Drink now to 2040+ |
| Rare 2008 Magnum | 19/20 Lees Ageing: 14.5 years | Disgorged: 2024 | Dosage: 8 g/l A striking contrast to the bottle nice hint of #MagnumEffect with citrus, orange zest, coconut and a hint of mint. The palate is light & floaty yet powerful, combining fruit intensity with remarkable elegance. A round velvety texture is really attractive and you don’t see in the 75cl. Flinty notes and subtle lees complexity develop with air. Exceptionally youthful, with a long drinking window ahead to 2046+ |
| Rare 2007 | 17/20 Lees Ageing: 13 Years | Disgorged: 2021 | Dosage 9g/l Cold May with hot August harvest: More evolved style, showing herbal, exotic and slightly oriental aromatics—kiwi, liquorice, peppermint and stone fruits. There is clear influence of the Maillard effect, with caramel, browned butter, fig and coffee notes adding complexity. Despite its maturity, it retains freshness and salinity, finishing with chocolate and spice. Drink now to 2034. |
| Rare 2006| 17.5/20 Lees Ageing: 11 Years | Disgorged: 2019 | Dosage: 7 g/l A warm vintage expression, rich and opulent with burnt pineapple, mango, dried apricot and caramelised sugar notes. Moving firmly into tertiary territory, with coffee and chocolate nuances. Powerful and ripe, with a distinct bitter orange finish and supported by underlying freshness. Interesting to see how energetic this has stayed. Drink now to 2034. |
| Rare 2006 Magnum | 18/20 Lees Ageing: 14 Years | Disgorged: 2022| Dosage: 7 g/l The magnum effect is obvious, fresher, more energetic expression than the 75cl, showing citrus zest, orange and lime-driven notes. There is juiciness and lift, with a fine balance between richness and restraint and velvety soft texture. The finish is long and vibrant, highlighting the benefits of magnum ageing and this hot vintage really benefits in magnum. Drink now to 2040. |
| Rare 2002 | 19.5/20 Disgorged: 2017| Dosage: 9 g/l A profound and hedonistic wine. Deep gold in colour, with intense aromatics of caramel, butter, stone fruit, orange, chocolate and orange blossom. The palate is dense, concentrated and texturally luxurious, with layers of ginger, coffee and spice unfolding endlessly. A benchmark vintage for Rare and moving very slowly. Drink now to 2040. |
Regis Camus on Rare 2002: At a tasting in London in 2018 with previous cellar master Regis Camus I asked him to describe his favourite Rare (an answer is rarely forthcoming in these situations) but he said with that big smile “The 2002 is the definition of what I am looking for. This means maturity, but also youthfulness with precision, complexity and delicacy. Rare 2002 has the minerality and freshness which should be the house style.” Although the dosage for the original disgorgement of Rare 2002 was 11 g/l, Camus made the decision to reduce the dosage for the last disgorgement to 9 g/l. “I tend to add one extra gram to my personal taste, for 2002 it was 11 g/l on first bottling, now it’s 9 g/l,” he explained.
| Rare 1999 Magnum | 15/20 Lees Ageing: 16 Years | Dosage: 9.5 g/l A hot vintage, this bottle shows slightly “burnt” aromatics and on the palate and a negative texture impact. Unlucky cork I imagine. The 75cl was released in a sexy bright red corset sleeve designed by Jean Paul Gaultier. The champagne was originally released to the US and not many more markets due to small production. |
| Rare 1998 Magnum | 19.5+/20 Lees Ageing: 21 Years | Disgorged: 2017 | Dosage: 9g/l This champagne is oozing charm, generous dollop of magnum effect, combined power and freshness, with ripe peach, charred pineapple, caramel and praline richness. Notes of black tea, orange peel and chocolate add complexity. Despite its age, it shows remarkable energy and youthfulness, a testament to magnum ageing. These will age for a long time still to 2040+ and are magnificent now. This was the first vintage where sunburn became an issue in the region. Extraordinary Champagne. |
| Rare 1997 “Le Secret” Zero Dosage | 16.5/20 Disgorged: 2017 | Dosage: 0g/l Produced in limited quantity, more a winemaker experiment; shows chocolate, bitter orange and strong salinity. Interesting but less compelling, lacking harmony and density. Drink to 2034. |
| Rare 1990 | 18.5/20 Disgorged: 1999 | Dosage: 9g/l A powerful yet elegant vintage, with intense orange, chocolate and “meaty” complexity. The texture is silky and refined, balancing concentration with freshness. A wine of both richness and tension, showing beautifully today a big surprise to get such a fresh zesty 1990 & certainly the best from this vintage I’ve drunk in the past decade. Drink now to 2036+ |
Changes in Winemaking: Between the 1990 and 1988 there were some significant shifts in winemaking. In late 1988 Charles and Piper-Heidsieck were reunited again when Remy Cointreau bought Piper, having bought Charles Heidsieck in 1985. Daniel Thibault the winemaker who turned around Charles Heidsieck between 1976 and mid 80’s took over Rare. The Vintages including 1988 and older were made with Malolactic Fermentation blocked and from the 1990 vintage onwards Daniel decided to allow the base wines to complete the MLF. This practice continues through all the vintages made my Daniel’s successor Regis Camus. In 2018 Regis retired from winemaking and handed over to Émilien Boutillat and I predict from vintages 2018 and younger, we will see some blocking of the MLF, a response purely to global warming and Emilien wanting to ensure he can retain the “freshness” component as acidity levels fall. I look forward to hearing if my predictions are correct 😉
| Rare 1988 | 18/20 | Disgorged: 1998 | Dosage: 10g/l A very expressive bottle, bright mature marmalade, dense and depth with a rich texture and interesting truffle notes to the dried citrus fruits and nuttiness. Lingers long and savoury. Has lots of tension and freshness a lift of salinity on the finish. Remarkably vibrant, with impressive length and balance. Drink Now to 2036 |
| Rare 1985 Recently Disgorged | 19+/20 | Disgorged: 2025 An outstanding wine, bundles of dried citrus, orange galore and charred spicy stone fruits follows with seaside salinity, ripe peach, lanolin and intense freshness. Combines richness with precision, with acidity carrying the wine to an exceptionally long finish. A standout of the tasting and one of the best examples I have tasted of a recent disgorgement when the champagne spent 40 years with its lees. Super fresh. Drink now to 2040+ could be a lot longer and I look forward to following its journey. |
| Rare 1985 Original Disgorged | 15/20 Showing advanced maturity, with that lanolin-dominated aromatic and signs of decline. Some remaining fruit, but lacking freshness and feels like slight cork taint in the background. |
| Rare 1979 | 18/20 Disgorged: 1990 A deeply coloured, expressive wine with lanolin, dried citrus, marmalade, coffee and fig notes. Despite its age, it retains remarkable energy, freshness and tropical lift, with a luxurious texture and long mocha finish. Drink now to 2034 |
| Rare 1976 | 16/20 | Disgorged: 1985 From an exceptionally dry and early harvest year. The wine shows dried citrus aromatics and ripe peach, a velvety palate, with spice and gentle mousse. Some bottle variation noted, with cork influence affecting overall harmony. |
This vertical highlighted the remarkable consistency of the Champagne Rare style, with its hallmark combination of citrus precision, salinity, tropical nuance and evolving toasty complexity.
Greatest young potential: 2013 & 2008 (Magnum)
Peak expressions: 2002, 1998 (Magnum), 1985 (recent disgorgement)
Surprising longevity: 1979, 1988
Nick’s Favourite Pair: 1998 Magnum & 1985 Recent disgorgement
A fascinating journey through time, reaffirming Rare Champagne as a house defined by patience, precision, and the ability to age with extraordinary grace when bottles are stored at close to 12 Celsius.
Résidence Eisenhower
This former mansion, which hosted General Dwight David Eisenhower (1890–1969) in the days of deliverance from World War II, is opening a new page in its history by becoming a residence showcasing French art de vivre.
Located in the heart of Reims, the Residence is located a few steps from the thirteenth-century Notre-Dame Cathedral, the setting for the coronations of the kings of France. It is also a gateway to the champagne houses of the EPI group: Piper-Heidsieck, Charles Heidsieck and Rare Champagne.
More than a hotel, the residence is a place that is both exclusive and welcoming, where excellence is expressed with generosity.
The ideal starting point for a wine tour.
