Charles Heidsieck 2008 Vintage

The Charles Heidsieck 2008 Vintage champagne is concentrated and packed with buttery, roasted flavours and ripe lemon. The full, creamy palate is structured by a racy acidity that carries through to the finish, which is characterised by roasted coffee notes and caramel. It is a true classic and, together with the excellent Vintage Rose, will be the best champagne offered by Charles Heidsieck in 2008, as the Blanc de Millenaires omits the 2008 vintage.

The Charles Heidsieck 2008 Millesime is now a rare intense flavour experience. If you leave it in the cellar for a few years, it will become subtler, more nuanced and even silkier. It has potential until 2035 and will keep longer. 
ult. The title chef de cave falls short, as he has driven the entire Heidsieck team to peak performance with his passion for champagne and his perfectionism bordering on obsession. After his death in 2002 the work was preserved by people who had worked under him.Unfortunately, the 2008 vintage, and almost 2012 or 2013, is the last Heidsieck wine that would have met his standards. In the meantime, the company has become more commercial. The current 2018 vintage has only half the yeast ageing of the 2008 vintage.

It would be a shame not to take the opportunity to secure one of the last Heidsieck classics.

The Vintage 2008 is the usual blend of 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay for this vintage champagne. The Pinot Noirs come from the vineyards Ambonnay, Tauxières, Mailly, Bouzy, Ludes, Avenay and Verzy. The Chardonnays come from Avize, Cramant, Oger and Vertus. The Premier Cru Vertus plays an important role, as it produces Chardonnays with very intense lemon flavours on somewhat heavier soils that were previously occupied by Pinot Noir.

The wines are fermented in tanks and malolactic fermentation takes place. The Heidsieck Vintage is characterised by its long, ten-year yeast ageing. It was disgorged in February 2019 with 8 g dosage.

95 WILLIAM KELLEY robertparker.com
Disgorged in February 2019 with eight grams per liter dosage, the 2008 Brut Millésimé unfurls in the glass with beautiful aromas of citrus oil, crisp green apple, linden, fresh walnuts and warm bread. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, taut and incisive, with a deep and layered core that integrates its racy spine of acidity, excellent concentration and a long, delicately nutty finish. Impeccably balanced, this is Heidsieck's finest vintage bottling since the 1980s…

750 mL

12.5

Champagne

Pinot Noir & Chardonnay

Sulphites

• Brut

France

PH-CH 12 Allée du Vignoble 51100 Reims - France