Charles Heidsieck is one of the few of the big houses in Champagne that overdelivers on their promise of great Champagne. Over the years, these wines have been an incredible source of a serious grand marque style, but at pricing that has long been fair. The 2018 Brut Millésimé is a serious example of just that, made with a vast selection of grand and premier cru fruit with a blend of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay drawn from Ambonnay, Tauxières, Vertus, Bouzy, Verzy, and Trigny. Vinified by cru and variety in stainless steel, aged about six years on the lees in the house's chalk cellars, and disgorged in spring of 2024 at 8 g/L dosage. The warm, ripe 2018 season was handled with precision, yielding beautiful citrus oil, stone fruit, and white flowers, along with flinty minerality. The palate is concentrated yet taut, with a fine mousse, a chalky-saline line, and a long, balanced finish. It's an excellent buy for vintage Champagne, especially at this low price!
Wine Spectator 96 points! "“A toasty Champagne, with a rich range of baked cassis, cherry, brioche, vanilla, saffron and spun honey aromas and flavors buoyed and balanced by vivid, lemony acidity. Shows depth and length, with the profile expanding on the finely detailed, vivacious mousse and echoing on the persistent, focused finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Disgorged April 2024. Drink now through 2045.”
James Suckling 96 points! "Very polished. Medium-bodied with lovely, sophisticated yet subtle flavors of dried apricots, grapefruit and peaches. Finely structured with creamy bubbles that give tension and focus. Touch of salt. Long and satisfying. A blend of 55% pinot noir and 45% chardonnay. Dosage 8 g/L. Drink now."
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points! "Émilien Erard’s first vintage working at Heidsieck, the 2018 Champagne Millesime Brut has a shimmering yellow hue, while the nose reveals notes of ripe peaches, with a fleshy stone fruit character that is characteristic of the house. Disgorged in 2024, this 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay blend, with no oak, was aged entirely in stainless steel tanks. They were aiming to preserve the freshness of this vintage to enhance its aging potential. The mousse is frothy and floral, expressive and open in this vintage. Drink 2026-2050.<!--more-->This year, Émilien Erard has been appointed as Cellar Master of Charles Heidsieck. The shift follows Elise Losfelt’s departure to return to her family estate in the Languedoc, Château de l’Engarran. Mr. Erard has been working at the estate since 2018, alongside both Elise Losfelt and, previously, Cyril Brun. Mrs. Losfelt’s tenure oversaw the 2023 and 2024 vintages at the house. The wines for this report were tasted at the estate in Reims with CEO Stephen Leroux and Émilien Erard."
Decanter 93 points! "Charles Heidsieck's 2018 is an unusual assemblage which successfully finds some focus and energy in this generous, sometimes slightly diffuse ripe vintage. Alongside plenty of juicy stone fruit Pinot Noir and sweet, sunny tangerine there's an appealing snap of bittersweet grapefruit Chardonnay, a large part of which unusually hails from sandy Trigny just north of Reims. The stylish toasty nougat richness, set against the clean-cut precision and easy approachability of the house, is certainly on show, and both 2018s present fine mid-term drinking (Drink between 2025-2032)"
2018 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Millésimé
2018 Charles Heidsieck Champagne Brut Millésimé
Charles Heidsieck is one of the few of the big houses in Champagne that overdelivers on their promise of great Champagne. Over the years, these wines have been an incredible source of a serious grand marque style, but at pricing that has long been fair. The 2018 Brut Millésimé is a serious example of just that, made with a vast selection of grand and premier cru fruit with a blend of 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay drawn from Ambonnay, Tauxières, Vertus, Bouzy, Verzy, and Trigny. Vinified by cru and variety in stainless steel, aged about six years on the lees in the house's chalk cellars, and disgorged in spring of 2024 at 8 g/L dosage. The warm, ripe 2018 season was handled with precision, yielding beautiful citrus oil, stone fruit, and white flowers, along with flinty minerality. The palate is concentrated yet taut, with a fine mousse, a chalky-saline line, and a long, balanced finish. It's an excellent buy for vintage Champagne, especially at this low price!
Wine Spectator 96 points! "“A toasty Champagne, with a rich range of baked cassis, cherry, brioche, vanilla, saffron and spun honey aromas and flavors buoyed and balanced by vivid, lemony acidity. Shows depth and length, with the profile expanding on the finely detailed, vivacious mousse and echoing on the persistent, focused finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Disgorged April 2024. Drink now through 2045.”
James Suckling 96 points! "Very polished. Medium-bodied with lovely, sophisticated yet subtle flavors of dried apricots, grapefruit and peaches. Finely structured with creamy bubbles that give tension and focus. Touch of salt. Long and satisfying. A blend of 55% pinot noir and 45% chardonnay. Dosage 8 g/L. Drink now."
Jeb Dunnuck 94 points! "Émilien Erard’s first vintage working at Heidsieck, the 2018 Champagne Millesime Brut has a shimmering yellow hue, while the nose reveals notes of ripe peaches, with a fleshy stone fruit character that is characteristic of the house. Disgorged in 2024, this 55% Pinot Noir and 45% Chardonnay blend, with no oak, was aged entirely in stainless steel tanks. They were aiming to preserve the freshness of this vintage to enhance its aging potential. The mousse is frothy and floral, expressive and open in this vintage. Drink 2026-2050.<!--more-->This year, Émilien Erard has been appointed as Cellar Master of Charles Heidsieck. The shift follows Elise Losfelt’s departure to return to her family estate in the Languedoc, Château de l’Engarran. Mr. Erard has been working at the estate since 2018, alongside both Elise Losfelt and, previously, Cyril Brun. Mrs. Losfelt’s tenure oversaw the 2023 and 2024 vintages at the house. The wines for this report were tasted at the estate in Reims with CEO Stephen Leroux and Émilien Erard."
Decanter 93 points! "Charles Heidsieck's 2018 is an unusual assemblage which successfully finds some focus and energy in this generous, sometimes slightly diffuse ripe vintage. Alongside plenty of juicy stone fruit Pinot Noir and sweet, sunny tangerine there's an appealing snap of bittersweet grapefruit Chardonnay, a large part of which unusually hails from sandy Trigny just north of Reims. The stylish toasty nougat richness, set against the clean-cut precision and easy approachability of the house, is certainly on show, and both 2018s present fine mid-term drinking (Drink between 2025-2032)"
