Wine Advisor
Charles Heidsieck, Brut Reserve NV
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Charles Heidsieck’s NV Brut Reserve is a fresh, floral wine with attractive pear and apple fruit, and an accessible personality. This is Lot 070792 12277, disgorged in 2007. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2010. Charles Heidsieck is one of Champagne’s historic houses. Charles-Camille Heidseick was an early pioneer in developing export markets for his wines as far back as 150 years ago. Today, this large estate based in Reims makes wines in an easygoing, pretty style. Importer: Remy Cointreau USA, New York, NY; tel. (212) 424-2204
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Based on the 2017 vintage, complemented by 50% reserve wines (emphasizing Pinot, which was in short supply in the base vintage), Heidsieck's NV Brut Réserve exhibits aromas of sweet citrus fruit, buttery pastry, dried white flowers, bee pollen, crisp orchard fruit and praline. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and seamless, with a pretty core of fruit, lively acids and chalky structure, it's a giving, charming wine that will offer a broad drinking window.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
This has an attractive toasty nose with touches of Clementine, apricot and limestone. Moderate definition. The palate is very vibrant with orange zest, citrus fruit and granite. Lacks a little crispness on the finish, but there is a certain ebullience to this champagne that is most attractive. Tasted March 2008.
Reviewed by: Stephan Reinhardt
Blended with a high percentage of matured reserve wines, this NV Brut Reserve is based on 2008 and was disgorged in 2014. Clear and complex on the nose, this is a round and elegant, highly finesse-full and lifted cuvée with a silky texture ,and delicate nougat and herbal flavors. The minty finish reveals a remarkably good structure.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Based on the 2014 vintage, complemented by fully 40% old reserve wines, the new release of Charles Heidsieck's NV Brut Réserve was disgorged earlier this year. It's showing very well, opening up in the glass with notes of green apple, dried white flowers, pear, candied peel and walnuts. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, deep and layered, with a textural attack and a racier, tighter-knit core than either the 2012- or 2010-base renditions, displaying good concentration and underlying richness. This is a bottling that continues to punch above its weight and which both merits and rewards a few years in the cellar before opening.
Reviewed by: Yohan Castaing
The Charles Heidsieck NV Brut Réserve is elaborated with 150 different wines from most of 60 crus. This is a blend of 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier with 50% of reserve wines. Disgorged in 2022 with a dosage of nine grams per liter, it has a delicate bouquet with aromas of orchard fruit, apricot, warm biscuits, praline, pastry and lemon hints. Medium to full-bodied, creamy and fleshy, the palate is charming with lively acids and a chalky finish. It’s approachable now but also evolving with grace.
Reviewed by: William Kelley
Based on the 2010 vintage and disgorged in 2018 with 11 grams per liter dosage, the latest release of the NV Brut Réserve incorporates fully 40% of reserve wines that average ten years of age. It's an excellent Champagne, wafting from the glass with a complex bouquet of brioche, waxy lemon rind, mandarin and dried white flowers. On the palate, the wine is medium to full-bodied, rich but precise, with a brisk mousse, a generous core of fruit and a precise, elegantly chalky finish. This cuvée just goes from strength to strength, and for now, it remains a great value, considering its depth and complexity.
Reviewed by: Stephan Reinhardt
The NV Brut Réserve, a combination of more than 60 different crus and 150 wines, evokes aromas of brioche, pastry, ripe orchard fruits, beeswax and spices. Medium to full-bodied, enrobing and charming, it has a fleshy core of fruit, a pinpoint mousse and delicate acids, making it a charming, delicate Champagne. This blend consists of 40% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 20% Pinot Meunier, with 50% vins de réserve, and was disgorged with a dosage of nine grams per liter.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Tasty and easygoing, Heidsieck's NV Brut Réserve is a good choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years. Warm toasty notes complement a core of orchard fruit, spice and vanillin in this inviting entry-level offering. Disgorged in 2018.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The MV 07 Brut Fût de Chêne (Collection) is rich, sumptuous and super-expressive. Candied apricot, orange marmalade, butter, sweet oak, mint, wild flowers and honey are all infused in this sumptuous, racy Champagne. Exotic and tropical in feel, Giraud’s MV is endowed with real class and plenty of trademark Aÿ radiance. Today, the 2007 is at a real peak of expression. The blend is 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay. Disgorged: July 8, 2017.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The MV (2007 base) Fût de Chêne Collection, tasted from magnum, is a gorgeous wine for many reasons. Above all else, the 2007 is endowed with terrific freshness that has allowed the wine to age very gracefully. The orchard fruit, white flower, almonds and lemon confit are very nicely focused. This is a superb showing. The 2007-base Fût de Chêne is 50% 2007 and 25% each 2006 and 2005, vinified and aged in French oak barrels, 35% new. Disgorged November 20, 2014. Dosage is 8 grams/liter.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The NV (2007) Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs rocks. It is a big, mouth-filling wine loaded with extravagant Chardonnay fruit. This is a decidedly extroverted, powerful vintage of the Blanc de Blancs, but I am quite confident the wine will settle down with further time in the bottle. Juicy peaches, mango, passion fruit and French oak wrap around the sensual, enticing finish. This is a dazzling showing from Collin. The 2007 includes 35% 2006 reserve wine. This bottle was disgorged March 1, 2011.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
The NV (2007) Rosés de Jeanne Blanc de Noirs (Les Ursules) is another of the Bouchard wines that tells readers very little about what is in the bottle, in this case 100% 2007 Pinot Noir from Les Ursules vineyard. This is the most open and intensely Pinot-expressive of the Bouchard Blancs de Noirs. The wine possesses broad, expansive shoulders, with layers of perfumed berries, minerals and hard candy that fill out its frame with impeccable grace. The mineral infused, silky finish lasts an eternity. As exceptional as this wine is, it also needs time to come together, as some of the elements occasionally appear disjointed. The wine's potential, however, is impossible to ignore. The 2007 Les Ursules spent 18-20 months on its lees and was disgorged April 16, 2009. Production 2,800 bottles.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Charles Heidsieck's NV Brut Réserve is a fresh, floral wine with attractive pear and apple fruit, and an accessible personality. This is Lot 070792 12277, disgorged in 2007.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
(made from roughly one-third each Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier; 11 g/l dosage; disgorged in 2013 after five years on its yeasts): Bright yellow. Potent smoke-tinged orchard and pit fruit aromas are complemented by notes of tarragon, toasted brioche and pungent flowers. Fleshy and broad on entry, then tighter in the mid-palate, offering juicy pear and nectarine flavors and a bracing kick of chalky minerals. This rich yet lively Champagne finishes with very good thrust and length and repeating smokiness.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
(roughly one-third each pinot noir, pinot meunier and chardonnay; laid down in 2008 and disgorged in 2012; L122974 3685): Light gold. Pungent pear and yellow plum aromas, with smoky mineral and citrus zest nuances adding energy. Gently sweet citrus marmalade and pear nectar flavors are enlivened by juicy acidity, picking up a toasty, leesy quality with aeration. Juicy orange and pear flavors linger on the long, vibrant, toasty finish.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
(2009 disgorgement): Light, bright gold. Orange pith, pear and smoky lees on the fragrant nose. Rich, broad and fleshy but energetic, offering juicy orchard fruit flavors and notes of honeysuckle and buttered toast. Shows an exotic note of iodine on the sappy, persistent and smoky finish. There's a lot of reserve wine in this blend and it shows.
Reviewed by: Josh Raynolds
(lot #40475 11170 on the foil) Light gold. Powerful smoky, truffley nose shows baked apple, subtle brown sugar and dried pear. Dense, thick and weighty, with flavors of pound cake, singed pineapple, nougat and clover honey. A serious non-vintage brut that would work well at the table alongside rich fish courses.
Reviewed by: Neal Martin
We began with a safe bet, the NV Brut Reserve from Charles Heidsieck. This is similar to my previous bottle with that pretty, slightly leesy nose, the palate fresh and well-balanced, quite malic towards the finish with a touch of orange rind on the aftertaste. Nothing spectacular – but it does the job.
About the Producer
Charles Heidsieck Champagne was established in 1851 by the nephew of Piper-Heidsieck's owner. Charles Heidsieck's grand-uncle founded the Champagne Heidsieck et Cie House and Charles grew up in the midst of grapes, loved by his mother, Emilie Henriot, and his sisters, in a family ruled by Reims traditions. Charles became a traveller and free-spirited, smooth-talking gentleman entrepreneur, focused on his champagne business. With his distinguished charm and knack for business, he captivated America becoming a prominent figure of fashionable society in just a few months. Charles focused on making a name for himself and for his champagne - Champagne Charlie. Charles Heidsieck is one of the most awarded champagnes in the world. Its Cellar Masters have been recognized no less than twelve times as “Sparkling Winemaker of the Year” over an eighteen-year period. The Champagnes themselves have also won many awards in competitions with the Brut Reserve having wone over 20 medals since 2012.
