The legendary house of Charles Heidsieck is definitely one of the Great Names of Champagne, but the superior quality of the wine has long gone unnoticed by the general public. And that while this Brut Reserve is 'the best value Champagne on the market', if you ask Tom Stevenson (author of the World Encyclopedia of Champagne & Sparkling Wine).

The excellent quality is mainly due to the fact that Heidsieck works with a share of no less than 40% reserve wines. These come from the most beautiful plots and from the best years. The wines mature in barrels for about 5 to 15 years before they are used in the blend of the Brut Réserve. This gives this impressive Champagne a striking depth and complexity.

 

Although the grapes (equal parts chardonnay, pinot noir and meunier) come from a total of sixty different crus, three are decisive for the style. The grand cru Oger in the Côte de Blancs (chardonnay), the grand cru Ambonnay in Montagne de Reims (pinot noir) and the renowned Vallée de la Marne-cru Verneuil (meunier) have long been the soul of the Brut Réserve.

After careful blending by chef de cave Cyril Brun, the wine matures for at least another three years on the yeasts in the beautiful, two millennia old crayères. These breathtaking limestone cellars in Reims are also a Unesco World Heritage Site. After maturation, dégorgement (removing the yeasts from the bottle) and bottling follow.

This method produces a truly sublime Champagne, which bears the simple name Brut Réserve, but tastes like a complex (multi)vintage Champagne – à la Krug, but much more affordable. It is not for nothing that this magnificent wine repeatedly wins a shower of medals and awards. Drink the Brut Réserve as a festive and luxurious aperitif, or in combination with a bowl of oysters. Pure pleasure guaranteed!

Drink or store?

While most non-vintage Champagne is best drunk young, a Champagne of this caliber can also mature perfectly in the bottle for a few more years. Depending on your preference for a young, fresh or more mature style of Champagne, you can drink the Brut Réserve immediately or store it for up to 5-6 years. Because a non-vintage Champgane cannot state a harvest year, Heidsieck has come up with a particularly clever solution. On the back label of the bottle, the house has listed both the mise en crayères and the date de dégorgement. The former date indicates when the Champagne 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 domain, but also until when you can keep it yourself!