Charles Heidsieck 1981 Blanc de Blancs crayeres collection

1981 is a forgotten great year that developed very slowly. It was long firm and marked by a strong acidity and was drunk up before its exceptional quality was recognised. Today it is so rare that we overlook it. For the 5th Collection Crayeres, Charles Heidsieck selects a good 251 bottles, which are among the last of the house. This Chardonnay was already disgorged in 1988, but lay until September 2021 in the Unesco-protected deep chalk cellars from Roman times, which Charles Camille Heidsieck was able to acquire a good 150 years ago. The acidity is now perfectly integrated and supports the impression of great freshness, which is accompanied by a firework of aromas: Toasted hazelnuts, lemon zest, grapefruit, ginger, the roasted notes of coffee beans first play in the nose to finish with honey, nougat. One keeps discovering new notes, even pine cones, mint, passion fruit. The complexity seems endless. On the palate, toasted notes of bread and coffee and blood orange peel. This is one of the truely memoral champagnes that we have tasted in recent years.