Charles Heidsieck Brut 2012

• Wonderful to drink now
• One of the best Grande Marque vintages of the year

It benefits a lot from a few hours of airing. The Charles Heidsieck Brut 2012 smells of roasted hazelnuts, brioche and lemon, mirabelle plums, dried apricots, honey and candied orange. There are also light smoky notes of toast and coffee. It takes several hours of airing for the aromas to show.The palate is characterised by vanilla, brioche, coffee beans and yellow fruit. The Vintage 2012 from Heidsieck fulfils all expectations: It is powerful and precise. The texture on the palate is creamy, but with a deeper layer of mineral energy. The finish is very long with a mineral-salty ending. It is already drinking well but will become even more complex. It shows the house style: lemon and toast flavours meet a full, silky palate full of fine details.

The Chardonnays come vineyards in;Oger, Vertus, Chouilly, Ludes, Cuis and Vertus. The Pinot Noirs come from Ay, Ambonnay, Tauxieres and Avenay. Pinot Noir dominates the cuvée with 60%. The 2012 vintage of Charles Heidsieck was disgorged in 2020 with 8 g.

94 William Kelley roberparker.com
Disgorged in 2019 with eight grams per liter dosage, the 2012 Brut Millésimé offers up aromas of crisp orchard fruit, white flowers and clear honey, complemented by hints of toasted bread, citrus zest and linden. Medium to full-bodied, elegantly fleshy and nicely concentrated, with lively acids and a pinpoint mousse, it's more generous and demonstrative than the 2008, but it will nevertheless reward a bit of bottle age.

Wine Spectator: 94 points

Decanter: 95 points

James Suckling: 96 points

Vinous (Galloni): 94 points

750 mL

12.5

Champagne

Pinot Noir & Chardonnay

Sulphites

• Brut

France

PH-CH 12 Allée du Vignoble 51100 Reims - France