During our visit to Charles Heidsieck earlier this year, cellar master Cyril Brun gave us an exclusive insight into one of the most exciting projects Champagne has seen in years. After tasting Charles Heidsieck’s entire inventory upon joining the house (tough day at the office!), Cyril decided that they had enough volume available to sell some of the older vintages. This treasured oenothèque collection, which includes champagnes as old as 1966 and features vintages from the 70s, 80s and 90s, has been named ‘Collection Crayères’, in homage to their historic cellars.
Stock is very limited we were told, and as such Cyril could only share a small sample of the range. However, the vintages we did taste all showed incredibly well – perfect examples of how vintage champagne can develop new levels of complexity under ideal storage conditions. Most surprising was the Brut Millésime 1983: “the most underrated vintage of the 80s” according to Cyril, a phenomenon he attributes to the preceding year. Explaining that 1982 was the year in which America really discovered Champagne, Cyril believes the success of this exhibition vintage largely over-shadowed the “clean, pure and subtle” champagnes that followed in 1983.
After our tasting, we were told we’d have to wait a few months before the grand release. Alas, that time has come and we are pleased to reveal the following five incredible cuvées have been released and are available to purchase:
| Charles Heidsieck Rosé Millésime 1985 75cl Bottle | £379.00 |
| Charles Heidsieck Champagne Charlie 1985 75cl Bottle | £395.00 |
| Charles Heidsieck Cuvée Royale 1981 75cl Bottle | £650.00 |
| Charles Heidsieck Brut Millésime 1983 1.5L Magnum | £695.00 |
| Charles Heidsieck Champagne Charlie 1982 1.5L Magnum | £995.00 |
These champagnes are available in very limited quantities. Please call 020 7359 1608 or email office@thefinestbubble.com to place an order.
 |
 |
