Champagne Charles Heidsieck - Brut Réserve

Bettane & Desseauve

About the estate:

As the crown jewel of the Descours family’s Piper brand, Charles Heidsieck richly deserves to be considered one of today’s most outstanding brands. It owes this status to the superb character of each of its champagnes and to the smooth, mellow roundness that is so characteristic of the “Charles style.” The house’s style is not based on power, tension, or minerality, but on elegance.

Guide Hachette des vins

About the wine:

Intense and complex, the nose reveals a wide range of aromas: exotic fruits, citrus, pastries, buttercream, mocha, and praline. This complexity carries over into a round, creamy palate that is expertly balanced and lingering, with the praline aromas returning on the finish. A remarkable champagne for the dinner table.

Guide des Vins Gault & Millau

About the wine:

Rather fresh and reserved, the nose gradually reveals subtle notes of white fruit and cut grass. Peppermint and tarragon add a touch of freshness. On the palate, the bubbles are present without being overpowering, giving way to a bright and lively texture. There is a sensation of juicy fruit before a lively, well-defined finish with notes of ginger. The dosage and acidity are perfectly balanced, leaving the palate clean and ready for a second glass.

Robert Parker - Wine Advocate

About the wine:

The NV Brut Réserve, a blend of over 60 different crus and 150 wines, evokes aromas of brioche, pastries, ripe orchard fruits, beeswax, and spices. Medium-bodied to full-bodied, smooth, and charming, it has a rich core of fruit, a fine mousse, and delicate acidity, making it a charming and delicate Champagne.

RVF - La Revue du Vin de France / Guide des Meilleurs Vins de France

About the wine:

A beautiful array of aromas in a wine aged on the lees, yet without ever becoming austere. The lovely patina of the reserve wines yields a complex wine. The palate has a dosage that slightly softens the attack, but the wine handles it well. It is a non-vintage brut with character and a long finish.

About the estate:

This small house, founded in 1851 in Reims and well known to discerning connoisseurs, owes its success to the style of its full-bodied, rounded champagnes. With a very high proportion of reserve wines in the blend (40%) and a bold dosage of 8g, Charles-Heidsieck’s non-vintage brut cultivates an original style, somewhat at odds with certain trends, yet with an undeniable personality. Since the house was acquired by the Descours family in 2011, a new era has begun for the house, which, without losing its soul, has returned to the forefront with a comprehensive and high-quality range of wines. A trajectory we reward with a second star.

Vinous

About the wine:

The NV Brut Réserve is a blend of 40% Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and 20% Pinot Meunier, containing up to 50% aged reserve wines. It spent four years on the lees and opens with a characteristic smoky, sulfurous reduction. Red currant and lemon follow, leading to a crystal-clear, bright, and lively palate—limpid for the Chardonnay and structured for the Pinot—managing to be rich and round without a hint of heaviness. The supple autolysis manifests as a slightly peppery rye crumb that pairs well with this reductive style.

James Suckling

About the wine:

A creamy, silky champagne with aromas of lemon, pastry, and apple compote. It is medium-bodied and layered, with fine bubbles and delicious pastry notes on a fresh, balanced finish. Enjoy now.

Jeb Dunnuck

About the wine:

The Champagne Réserve Brut NV is based on the 2018 vintage plus 50% reserve wine dating back to 1998, which adds substantial depth to this range’s entry-level wine. Composed of 40% Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and 20% Meunier, the wine displays a youthful golden hue and is round and ripe with classic aromas of lemon curd, toasted brioche, and fresh peach. Full-bodied and supple, it continues on the palate with ripe, juicy fruit, a refined and velvety mousse, and notes of orange marmalade on the finish. This is a benchmark style that holds up well and will drink beautifully for the next 10 years.