Wine Critic
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Critic tasting notes: (2012 vintage)
Robert Parker The Wine Advocate
"Recognized among Champagne enthusiasts primarily for the quality of its Rare Champagne, Piper-Heidsieck shares its vineyard holdings with Charles Heidsieck, together owning 65 hectares—covering less than 20% of their total requirements. The house is also contracted to farm another 35 or so hectares from which they purchase the fruit. Allocation is determined through blind tastings by an eight-member committee, where stylistic intent guides the pre-selection; as a result, specific crus are generally destined for one house or the other. Since 2022, the cellar master has been Émilien Boutillat, yet the long interval between harvest and realization in Champagne means that the vintage wines currently on the market and those that will be released in the foreseeable future are the work of his predecessor, Régis Camus, whose creations we are, in effect, still drinking today and largely discussing in this report.
Piper-Heidsieck’s most compelling cuvée—the vintage-dated Rare Champagne—is predominantly based on Chardonnay, which typically constitutes 70% of the blend (reduced to 60% in the case of Rare Rosé), with the balance being Pinot Noir. The Montagne de Reims serves as their principal source. Harvest usually takes place later in the season, with the aim of achieving what they describe as optimal phenolic maturity, all while remaining vigilant against disease pressure—this, of course, only as far as their control extends. As with many large houses, even their more limited-production cuvées incorporate a combination of estate-grown and purchased fruit.
As I have previously noted, viticulture within this group has become markedly more conscientious in recent years, and today, all estate-owned parcels are cultivated mechanically. Although the majority of their grapes are purchased rather than estate-grown, acquiring certified fruit at premium prices—even if representing only a fraction of the total volume—serves to incentivize their contracted growers to adopt viticultural practices that may, one day, bring back living soils to more of Champagne.
All vinification is carried out in stainless steel tanks, typically on a block-by-block basis (by slope or village). The absence of oak barrels and the comparatively shallow stock of old vins de réserve represent key distinctions from Charles Heidsieck. Vinification in large vessels—most between 100 and 200 hectoliters, though ranging from 20 to 400 hectoliters—results in low oxygen exposure, producing wines of a reductive profile. All the wines undergo full malolactic fermentation; however, since 2019, Boutillat has begun blocking malolactic fermentation in select tanks. (Some readers may have forgotten that between 1976 and 1988, all Rare Millésime bottlings were produced without malolactic fermentation.) Dosage, determined through blind tastings, typically ranges from five to 10 grams per liter—varying according to the vintage and cuvée—with Rare Champagne tending toward the higher end of the spectrum.
Following extended maturation sur lattes under crown caps lined with plastic—replacing the former cork-lined versions that once introduced a degree of bottle variation in older vintages—Rare Champagne exhibits a style that is muscular and gourmand, though slightly less textural and enveloping than that of Charles Heidsieck but with a similar toasty patina. Whereas Piper-Heidsieck’s high-volume non-vintage and standard vintage bottlings may be challenging to recognize in blind tastings, Rare Champagne stands apart with a more distinct identity. At once fleshy and precise, it is distinguishable by its rich and fragrant fruit, framed by smoky reduction and with tropical inflections on the upper register. It is also a reliable candidate for extended cellaring well beyond disgorgement. One might nonetheless wonder whether the wines could be even more exciting were their texture and flesh married to greater tension and their dosage more restrained—yet, in retrospect, the longevity of older vintages suggests that this very dosage has been integral to their enduring evolution.
This report focuses on Rare Champagne in depth, covering every edition of the white Rare Millésime produced to date—from the inaugural 1976 vintage through to 2015—as well as all but one release of the Rare Rosé Millésime." - Reviewed by: Kristaps Karklins (95/100)
Producer Notes
Since its founding in 1785, the House of Piper-Heidsieck has proven its innovative prowess in selecting and blending wines of exception. A quest for excellence and open-mindedness are reflected in the entire range of champagnes.
Drinking Window
2025-2052
