Brut Vintage 2018
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At a glance
About this bottle
Charles Heidsieck is a house in Reims (pronounced rans) founded in 1851 by Charles-Camille Heidsieck. Its wines mature in the crayères (pronounced kray-air), former chalk pits beneath the city, dug as far back as Roman times. The house does not make vintage Champagne every year, only in years it considers good.
Brut Millésimé (pronounced mee-lay-zee-may) 2018 has a juicy, powerful palate. First come quince and baked pineapple, then ripe yellow fruit, peach and apricot, and blackberry jelly. In the background there are cocoa and roasted coffee, and the finish closes with a light, liquorice bitterness. The house aims for power, aromatic intensity and salty freshness, and this vintage shows it well.
2018 began with a rainy spring, followed by a hot, dry summer. The grapes ripened quickly and healthily, and the generous harvest made it possible to rebuild stocks after the difficult 2017 vintage. The blend is 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay, mostly from Grand Cru and Premier Cru villages (pronounced pruh-MYAY KREW): Ambonnay (pronounced ahm-bon-nay), Bouzy (pronounced boo-ZEE), Verzy (pronounced vair-ZEE), Tauxières, Vertus (pronounced vair-tu) and Trigny. The wine spent five years in the crayères, and the dosage is 8 g/l.
The house suggests bold pairings: spaghetti cacio e pepe, spicy Thai beef or mackerel with tomatoes, thyme and rosemary. This is a Champagne that can stand up to strongly flavoured food, so serve it with a meal, not only for a toast.
About the houseA Reims house that for a century and a half has put its cellars and reserve wines first, rather than vineyards. Its founder, “Champagne Charlie”, made Champagne famous in America. During the Civil War he was jailed there as an alleged spy, and his firm went bankrupt.History, people and stories: Charles Heidsieck
