Rare recently released the magnum of the 2006 vintage, so what better time to compare alongside the bottle version.
Champagne 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 at the time 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. The brand started as Piper-Heidsieck Rare and in 2019 this became simply Rare. These cuvées are only produced in these exceptional years: 1976, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2007 & 2008. In 2018 a new rose cuvee was released with 2007, now followed with 2008 and 2012.
93 → 95/100 Essi Avellan MW
“Deep golden, evolving colour. Charred, honey toned maturing nose with tropical fruit and oriental spices alongside candied orange and dried apricots notes. Broad on the lusciously textured palate, which offers a soft, fluffy mousse of a warm vintage. Wide open and expressive already, highly pleasurable today. An early bloomer of a vintage.”
