About the Wine
Charles Heidsieck is one of the great names of Champagne and produces some of the finest of all champagnes. In 1851, young Charles Heidsieck founded his own Champagne house in Reims. He understood that the United States was an important emerging market, so he traversed America repeatedly north to south promoting his new brand. The stylish entrepreneur became known lovingly as “Champagne Charlie.”
Charles Heidsieck Champagne is distinguished by the high proportion of reserve wines in the Brut Réserve. 40% of the blend is comprised of reserve wines averaging 10 years old, giving the wine uncommon depth and complexity. In addition to the non-vintage Brut Réserve and Rosé Réserve, the winery produces a Vintage Brut, Vintage Rosé and the prestige cuvée Blanc des Millenaires.
Only 60 crus from Champagne are blended to create Charles Heidsieck Champagnes, but the three stylistic pillars that give the Brut Réserve its distinct character are Grand Cru Chardonnay from Oger in the Côte des Blancs, Grand Cru Pinot Noir from Ambonnay in the Montagne de Reims, and the distinct Pinot Meunier from Verneuil in the Vallée de Marne.
Tasting Notes: 41% Chardonnay, 41% Pinot Noir, and 18% Pinot Meunier. A shimmering golden hue. Delicate, vivacious, and long-lasting bubbles are the result of a long and slow maturing process in chalk crayères. With 40% of reserve wines, the blend offers a complex, voluptuous nose with notes of freshly baked brioche and the richness of toasted nuts and sun-drenched fruits - mango, apricot, and greengage plum- along with a touch of dried fruits, pistachio, and almond. The meticulous selection of crus ensures the delicious and sophisticated harmony of this champagne. The texture is reminiscent of a crisp layer of nougat on a velvety cream pastry filled with plump, red plums and ripe cherries. The reserve wines, some dating back more than 15 years, give the wine lushness. The depth of the two-thousand-year-old chalk cellars where the wine matures helps the cuvée develop a touch of praline along with confectionary notes and vanilla.
Reviews
Charles "Champagne Charlie" Heidsieck was one of the first to recognize the importance of the U.S. as a Champagne market-the rest is history. Long, bright, toasty, and yeasty; stunning. ~95 Tasting Panel
I have enjoyed the Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne on many occasions, and it continues to be one of Champagne's most consistent wines. This wine is complex and long-lasting on the palate. Enjoy its generous aromas and flavors of aged, reserve wines with pan-fried pork chops in a wild mushroom sauce. ~94 Wilfred Wong
This vibrant version shows a range of toasted brioche, baked cherry, crystallized honey, grated ginger, and coconut flavors, remaining light-footed and lively throughout. Beautifully balanced, with a lasting, mouthwatering finish. ~93 Wine Spectator
One of the best value grandes marques on the market, a blend of 60 crus, with roughly a third each of Pinot Noir, Meunier, and Chardonnay, vinified individually by cru and variety, in stainless steel. Compared to other grandes marques, it is high (40%) in reserve wines, averaging 10 years old and dating back to 1990. Quite a floral style with lemon sherbet intensity and bready, leesy characters. It has great concentration and complexity, with a lovely grip of acidity on the finish. ~93 Decanter
Complemented by fully 40% old reserve wines, the new release of Charles Heidsieck's NV Brut Réserve was disgorged earlier this year. It's showing very well, opening up in the glass with notes of green apple, dried white flowers, pear, candied peel, and walnuts. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a textural attack and a racier, tighter-knit core than either the 2012- or 2010-base renditions, displaying good concentration and underlying richness. This is a bottling that continues to punch above its weight and which both merits and rewards a few years in the cellar before opening. ~92+ Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
This ripe Champagne is deliciously balanced between the rich white fruits and good acidity. Zingy texture gives it a crisp edge. Full, fruity, and with the ability to age, it is ready to drink. Editors' Choice. ~92 Wine Enthusiast
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