Charles Heidsieck Champagne

THE WINES

CHARLES HEIDSIECK BRUT RESERVE

This is the most perfect expression of the Charles Heidsieck champagne style : at the same time unctuous, round and vivacious, wines with an elegant complexity.

CHARLES HEIDSIECK ROSE RESERVE

A deliciously fresh champagne wish expresses perfectly the complexity of the Charles Heidsieck spirit. Fleshy and acidulous wines which suggest the liveliness of pomelo or morello cherry.

CHARLES HEIDSIECK BRUT VINTAGE 2000

The blend incarnates the tipicity of a particular year of harvest, as seen by the Champagne House. During the maturation in the chalk cellars, the wines acquire the exceptional aromatic finesse which is so prized by connoisseurs. There are mature wines, structured and generous.

CHARLES HEIDSIECK BLANC DES MILLENAIRES 1995

A mythical champagne, made exclusively from Chardonnay. Beautifully straightforward, ample and distinctive, wines display all the noble characteristics of mature Chardonnay and its incredible potential for ageing places it firmly in the proud tradition of the Charles Heidsieck 'Blanc des Millénaires'.

CHARLES HEIDSIECK VINTAGE ROSE 1999

All the delicacy of rosé wines, amplified by maturation. The addition of pinot noir wines not only brings colours, it also gives wines finesse and subtlety. A delicated, structured champagne.

CHARLES HEIDSIECK COLLECTION

At the House of Charles Heidsieck, the Charles Heidsieck Wine Collection is considered as the Holy of Holies. It is the trove where the great vintages are kept, sometimes for several decades. Some of the wines are extremely rare, and all wines are milestones of Champagne's story. The Collection wines are the best possible way of exploring the depth of Charles Heidsieck's vision and passion.

THE KNOW-HOW

Rooted in the Terroir

The excellence of the wines of Champagne comes in part from the richness of the vineyards and its three grape varieties which constitute the raw materials for the champagne blend. For Charles Heidsieck, it is essential to benefit from the richness of the Champagne terroir. The House has built privileged relationships over time with the most experienced growers. Of the 323 crus which make up the champagne appellation, Charles Heidsieck purchases grapes from approximately 120 crus each year enabling the Champagne House to have the most complete selection possible from which to elaborate its blends.

Mastering Time

The Charles Heidsieck style is the result of a combination between the gifts of nature and the know-how of the Champagne House. An immaterial element also enters the equation : time. For Charles Heidsieck, only optimal maturation can reveal the full potential of a blend and give it the balance and the aromatic mellowness which is so prized by Champagne connoisseurs. Year after year, a secret alchemy is at work. Prolonged contact between the lees and the wines perfects its harmony. The chalk quarries of the Champagne House in Reims offer ideal maturation conditions : 25m underground, the wines are protected from light and vibrations. After a watchful eye of the winemaking team, the wines are kept for a minimum of 3 years for Brut Réserve Champagne and 6 for the Vintages. After disgorgement, the wines are kept another 3 to 6 months before they are ready to be tasted and enjoyed.

Régis Camus, excellence in know-how

Régis Camus joined Charles Heidsieck in 1994 and has been the head of winemaker of the House since 2002. Every year, he supervises the blending of the Houses's wines ; his mission : to perpetuate the Charles Heidsieck style, reflecting the richness of the Champagne terroir.

THE HOUSE

The Story of Charles Heidsieck

Charles Heidsieck's wines are the result of a sum of many expectations - thus making them true masterpieces for the enlightened amateurs. From the very start, Charles Heidsieck wines managed to seduce the royal courts of Europe and the great patrons of the times. Today, the Houses' wines are awarded the greatest prizes by professional juries across the world. Over the decades, without making a fuss, relying on nothing but its exceptional quality, Charles Heidsieck has consolidated its position as the Champagne for 'those who know'.

Charles-Camille Heidsieck: a passion for the exceptional

1851 : Creation of the Champagne House. He sets the highest standards in grape selection and improves the production methods of the age. He buys chalk quarries in Reims where his wines will mature in perfect conditions. 1852 : Charles Camille Heidsieck will make several trips to America and become a well regarded and appreciated figure of American social life, earning himself the nick-name of 'Champagne Charlie'. Then he devotes all his energies to the consolidation of the House's position by further improving the quality and harmony of its wines. From the beginning, Charles Heidsieck gained the respect of professionals and amateurs : The House and its wines earned their first medals during Universal Exhibition of 1859. Without any advertising and only through word-of-mouth, its reputation in aristocratic circles established Charles Heidsieck as the champagne of the Royal Houses of Europe. No one can fool the wine professionals who blind-taste wines in juries of international competitions. The quantity of medals and trophies regularly earned by Charles Heidsieck Champagne is simply extraordinary.