Thursday 9th November 2023 | 18:45-20:30
Presenter: Nick Baker and Simon Stockton
Location: The Finest Bubble HQ, 11 Shillingford Street, Islington, N1 2DP
Places are limited to 12 people

18:45 Arrival for aperitif
19:00 Sit down to begin tasting
20:30 Finish tasting

One of my great revelations when I started TFB, nearly ten years ago, was my first visit to the Piper-Heidsieck winery in 2015 and tasting their champagnes. They were seductive, I wasn’t expecting the precision and freshness in a brand where the image has suffered from supermarket discounting of the NV Cuvee. The vintage release at the time was 2008, it was extraordinary. It went on and won many top awards including the CSWWC “World Champion” overall winner of over 1000 sparkling wines and champagnes. Still today it is a graceful wine and under £100 it offers really great value.

The second part of the tasting was Piper-Heidsieck Rare, since 2019 known as just Rare, these are full malolactic champagnes with no oak. They have real intensity of fruit and yet lightness on the palate. Always blended 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir a wonderful combination from predominantly the best Grand Cru vineyards. I remember meeting Regis Camus, now retired, the cellar master for the first time, my French is awful, his English is better and we immediately bonded. From that day I couldn’t believe how much is “packed in a bottle” a wonderful discovery, one of the great prestige cuvee champagnes and I am only too happy to help more people discover this hidden jewel.

This tasting also gives you a chance to see the ability of the champagnes to age, they are powerful yet light when young and develop many more layers during their post disgorgement ageing.

I hope you can join me so we can share the joys of Champagne Rare:

Rare Rose 2014 75cl & 1.5L New Releases

Rare 2008 1.5L New Release

Rare Rose 2008 1.5L - £760.00

Rare 2006 75cl - £172.00

Piper-Heidsieck Rare 2002 75cl - £230.00

Piper-Heidsieck Rare 1998 1.5L - £390.00

Piper-Heidsieck Rare 1988 75cl - £398.00

Surprise Champagne 75cl

Nick Baker - The founder of The Finest Bubble, Nick has worked in the wine industry since leaving university in 1989, starting in sales and moving to marketing. He spent a year working with MMD & Champagne Louis Roederer before getting the taste for California and heading to Sonoma County for a few years. He set up TFB in 2014, testing the concept of same day delivery in London for Champagne. The website grew quickly and the service is now even more focused: delivering to London within two hours from a range of 800+ Champagnes and English sparkling wines and an ever increasing range of wine. Nick visits Reims and Épernay many times a year, researching new producers and future releases and works with the best industry tasters like Essi Avellan MW where Nick & Essi host a regular Instagram video discussing some of the latest releases from Champagne.

Simon Stockton: Simon is currently the brand Ambassador for Charles-Heidsieck in the UK, the sister house to Piper-Heidsieck. Before this he was the brand ambassador for Piper-Heidsieck & Rare champagnes and brings a wealth of knowledge about these champagnes. Simon has one of the best palates for tasting champagne, he is part of the judging panel at the CSWWC, each year tasting over 1000 champagnes and sparkling wines from across the world. At this tasting he will cost host with Nick sharing wonderful stories to help you understand Champagne Rare.