Charles Heidsieck

Champagne Charlie

France, Champagne

Mis en Cave 2017 (Base 2016)

Champagne Charlie

Freshness, aromatic intensity and silky saline finishes are a house trait for Charles Heidsieck. Cellared in 2017 this new cuvée is based on 80% reserve wines. Layered and complex with toasty, nutty characteristics, wet leaf, forest floor and white mushroom. Refined mousse, great intensity. Excellent with raw fish and caviar.

WBSS24 Champagne Charlie Mis en Cave 2017 (Base 2016)

Champagne Charlie: A Tribute to Tradition

Everyone knows about the genie inside the lamp. You rub the lamp, and the genie pops out. For the cuvée Champagne Charlie, the reverse was true: inspiration had to come from history, starting with the founder’s character, Charles Camille Heidsieck (1822–1893), to create a champagne wine worthy of representing him. In the late 1970s, Daniel Thibault would prove to be up to the challenge. This extremely gifted cellar master was the last to work with the founder’s family, still in charge of the business. When the family decided to pay tribute to its great ancestor, Daniel Thibault leveraged his long experience with Charles’ signature, which still resonates in the House almost a century following the founder’s death and followed his creator’s instinct to tackle what would be one of the most resounding successes in his career.

Inspiration and Innovation

Two ideas served as his inspiration; first, a freedom of spirit, a driving force in the founder’s life and perhaps one of the secrets behind his success in the United States. And second; the desire to elevate the quality of the House’s wines to the limit, much like an artist pushes the envelope in creating a masterpiece without ever betraying his talent - not by inventing, but by expressing the wines’ intrinsic qualities. His efforts led to five historic cuvées: 1979, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1985. For the commemoration of the bicentennial of Charles-Camille Heidsieck’s birth, the House has decided to relaunch this legendary champagne, 37 years after its first release. Charlie certainly deserves it.

Charles Heidsieck_ Champagne_Charlie_Mis en Cave 2017 _Base 2016_WBSS24

A Masterpiece Reimagined

The genius is within the wine - the great art of blending - as rendered in Champagne. In crafting the new Champagne Charlie, previous cellar master Cyril Brun, interpreted the Founder’s spirit. Tasting through history, he notes “For this new edition of Charlie, I took my inspiration from previous editions, tasting each of the past releases to reconnect with the initial creation. My first impression was overwhelming; the freshness and aromatic intensity and silky saline finish could be systematically found in all the wines, as if these qualities transcended the effect of vintage. It was the key. This renaissance Charlie is a multi-vintage wine. This intentional use of reserve wines is also, for me, a symbol of a greater freedom of creation in this quest for the absolute."

Blend of Tradition and Innovation

The new Champagne Charlie cuvée is comprised of nearly 80% reserve wines, with select components aged on lees for up to 25 years. A blend of 52% Chardonnay and 48% Pinot Noir, the assemblage also includes 20% wine from the 2016 vintage, cellared in 2017.

Tasting
NOTES

Light straw colour with green hints - star bright. The nose is delicate yet elegant; citrus peel, green apple and white blossoms show first. The wine is layered and complex with toasty and nutty characteristics as well as wet leaf, forest floor and white mushroom. Refined bubbles, there’s great intensity, complexity and the palate clearly relates to the nose. Super, long finish with tight acidity giving good potential for the future.

Food
PAIRINGS

This wine is excellent for pairing with raw fish or caviar or vegetables in a light citrus or creme fraîche sauce. Aubergine in yogurt sauce or a lightly cured fluke on a seaweed cracker would also work nicely. The wine is intense and slightly unyielding, so it will need a strong dish that will not get drowned by the wine's acidic intensity.

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PRODUCER

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WBSS24 Champagne Charlie Mis en Cave 2017 (Base 2016)

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