Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blancs NV

Charles Heidsieck was one of the very first Champagne Houses to demonstrate its passion for Chardonnay by producing a Blanc de Blancs in its 1949 vintage. There is also evidence that the Maison had produced some mono-crus from the Côte des Blancs as early as1906... Through this cuvée, relaunched in 2018, two of the House’s areas of expertise come together: the production of great white wines and the art of blending a large selection of wines from different years and terroirs. The considerable challenge is to make opposites coexist: the tautness and the freshness of young chardonnays on the one hand, and the silky “Charles” character on the other.

The Blanc de Blancs is the result of a very selective blend of Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims, Cote de Sezanne and Montgueux. The cuvée base 2016 is composed of 10 crus of Chardonnay, the most sought-after grapes in the region. For this cuvée, only the juice from the first press are used and, the wines benefit from a slow and long maturation of 3 to 4 years, far beyond the norms of the region.

From the bottle to glass, this champagne is a pale, crystalline gold colour with glints of the Chardonnay varietal. On the nose the aromas of mature Chardonnay can be recognised initially: white peach, candied citrus with hints of lime, fresh hazelnut and honeysuckle, giving way to subtle hints of tangerine and lemon citrus. On the palate freshness an tautness mark this as almost unconventionally suave for a blanc de blanc, so often characterised as being sharp rather than creamy. The harmonious finish offers a surprising minerality and a slight salinity. 

The Finer Details
Style - Champagne
Varietal - Chardonnay
Country - France
Region - Champagne
Vintage - Non-Vintage
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 12%