Charles Heidsieck Champagne Blanc de Blancs

The champagne from France

The Blanc de Blancs may be a relatively recent addition to the Charles Heidsieck portfolio since 2018, but the love between Charles and chardonnay goes back a long way. As early as 1906, the house made monocrues from chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, while the first vintage Blanc de Blancs was a fact in 1949. Heidsieck's famous Blanc de Millénaires is also considered one of the greatest Champagnes.

This non-vintage Blanc de Blancs is a perfect addition to the range. While flagship Blanc de Millénaires is famous for its impressive mature character, this Champagne is made for freshness and youthful fruit, combined with a seductive, silky and creamy structure.

 

To achieve this ultimate balance between freshness and a rich, creamy texture and to give the wine the typical Charles signature, cellar master Cyril Brun works with a ratio of 75% young wine and 25% reserve wine with an average age of five years. 50% of the chardonnay comes from the Côte des Blancs, the remainder comes from Montagne de Reims and Montgueux. After careful blending, the wine matures on the yeasts for at least four years.

The end result is an extraordinarily beautiful Blanc de Blancs: beautifully fresh and sleek, with notes of citrus (peel), green apple, floral notes and a chalky minerality. At the same time, the taste is full and creamy, with notes of brioche, pastry and some nuttiness. The mousse is extremely delicate, the aftertaste is endless. Enjoy this beautiful wine between now and about seven years after the harvest, whether or not in combination with a luxurious and refined (fish) dish.

Drink or store?

While most non-vintage Champagne is best drunk young, a Champagne of this caliber can also be aged in the bottle for several years. Depending on your preference for a young, fresh or more mature style of Champagne, you can drink the Blanc de Blancs immediately or keep it for up to 5-6 years. Because a non-vintage Champgane cannot mention the vintage year, Heidsieck has come up with a particularly clever solution. On the back label of the bottle, the house has stated both the mise en crayères and the date de disgorgement. The former date indicates when the Champagne has entered the cellar to mature on the lees, the latter when the yeasts have been removed from the bottle and the Champagne has been finally bottled. This way you not only know how long the Champagne has matured on the estate, but also how long you can keep it yourself!