Charles Heidsieck : Millésimé Brut Collection Crayères Rosé 1996

Tasting Notes and Characteristics of the Charles Heidsieck Millésimé Brut Collection Crayères Rosé 1996

Tasting

Appearance
The colour reveals deep, evolved hues, leaning towards coppery or onion-skin nuances, enhanced by remarkably fine effervescence and a persistent bead.

Nose
The aromatic bouquet blends jammy red fruit notes, such as wild strawberry and morello cherry, with indulgent autolytic aromas evoking brioche, butter and toasted almond. With aeration, subtle tertiary touches of sweet spice and undergrowth emerge.

Palate
The attack is full and flavourful, supported by a delicate tannic structure. The chalky texture is perfectly balanced by the liveliness and acidity characteristic of this vintage, extending the wine towards a long, mouth-watering finish with notes of dried fruit.

Food and Wine Pairing

This gastronomic wine pairs beautifully with fine poultry such as roast pigeon or duck breast with red fruit. It also enhances meaty fish like turbot or roasted lobster, as well as pressed cooked cheeses such as a well-aged Comté.

The Structure and Complexity of a Vintage Champagne from Charles Heidsieck

The Estate

Founded in Reims in 1851 by Charles-Camille Heidsieck, the House of Charles Heidsieck quickly made its mark through its boldness and rigour. Now owned by the EPI group and the Descours family, this iconic Champagne estate continues to uphold a style built on complexity and the extended maturation of its wines. Technically overseen by cellar master Élise Losfelt, the estate is distinguished by its spectacular Gallo-Roman chalk cellars and its strong environmental commitment, recognised through B Corp certification.

The Vineyard

The estate relies on 75 hectares of its own vineyards spread across the Marne and Aube, complemented by sustainable partnerships. Deeply rooted in the chalky terroirs typical of Champagne, the estate practises sustainable viticulture certified HVE and VDC. The vines are grown without any herbicides or insecticides, favouring organic fertilisers, mating disruption techniques and the preservation of biodiversity through the installation of beehives.

The Vintage

The 1996 vintage is renowned for producing wines with great energy and particularly high acidity. These distinctive weather conditions shaped highly structured juices, offering remarkable ageing potential and exceptional liveliness.

Winemaking and Ageing

The creation of the Charles Heidsieck Millésimé Brut Collection Crayères Rosé 1996 is rooted in a philosophy where time acts as a true fourth grape variety. The wine undergoes extremely prolonged ageing on lees within the house's historic chalk cellars, located thirty metres underground. The darkness, absolute silence and constant coolness of these underground cellars allow for a slow, carefully controlled autolysis, forging the aromatic complexity of this rare cuvée ahead of a late disgorgement.