Log in / Sign up Piper Heidsieck Brut Cuvee Rare 2013
Piper-Heidsieck started out as a cloth and wine trading company Heidsieck & Co which was founded by Florens-Louis Heidsieck in 1785. His distinctive champagne’s reputation quickly spread and won favour at court.
The Piper-Heidsieck Maison owns precious wine-growing land from the Montagne de Reims to the Cote des Bar. The blend of its signature cuvee is 55 to 60% Pinot Noir for structure, 10 to 15% Chardonnay grapes which add elegant nuances, 15 to 20% Pinot Meunier which enhances fruitiness, and 10 to 15% reserve wines which provide consistency from year to year. Vinification is done separately by variety and by vineyard in order to preserve their unique characters and offer maximum blending flexibility.
Piper-Heidsieck Rare Millesime Champagne 2013 is a blend of 17 crus which were aged for over seven years in the House’s cellars. The blend is 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, both from Montagne de Reims. The appearance is a dazzling, crystal-clear, citrine yellow gold enlivened by a delicate, shimmering effervescence. The fruit emerges as delicate and golden, with muted exotic fruits (mango and kiwi) and notes of hazelnut, almond and fig. Mild spices (white pepper, smoked tea and cocoa) reflect the wine’s depth but are honed, precise, and in harmony. The palate is voluptuous, with meringue-like delicacy, while nuances of mint tea, lime, kumquat, pineapple and candied ginger evoke distant lands.
The effervescence of Rare Millésime 2013 is tinged with an intensely bright, light golden color. The nose, at first subtle and clean, emerges in two stages combining tonicity and elegance. It all begins with the delicacy of white flowers, a hint of black tea and touches of citrus, kiwi and kumquat. Then, notes of lime blossom, green tea and fern give way to aromas of white fruits such as greengage plums. Touches of chestnut honey, sweet spices, vanilla and marzipan round off the wine's rich bouquet.
The two facets of Rare Millésime 2013 are confirmed in the mouth: smooth and vibrant, indulgent and dynamic. After hints of meringue, whipped cream and marzipan, kumquat, blood orange and kiwi then provide a refreshing tonicity. On the finish, the comforting texture of Rare Millésime 2013 appears as an aromatic and smoky indulgence punctuated by a freshness and a subtle bitterness. Rare Champagne's iconic signature of tropic minerality is expressed differently in Rare Millésime 2013, extended by a plump and prolonged aftertaste.
