The Millésime 2018 from Charles Heidsieck is a champagne born of a vintage that was both deep and elegant. This year embodies the pursuit of depth and finesse so dear to the House.
Combining power with finesse, this cuvée unfolds on notes of yellow fruit and citrus, lifted by a touch of spice and carried by a wine-like texture with mineral accents. It retains a vivid freshness and considerable ageing potential, hallmarks of the Charles style.
This is a bottle you can pour from the very first glass, alongside comté gougères for instance, before bringing it to the table with Bresse poultry and morels.
The Terroir
The Millésime 2018 is a blend of:
- 55% Pinot Noir
- 45% Chardonnay
These Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes come from several terroirs where Charles Heidsieck tends its vines: fruit from Ambonnay, Bouzy and Verzy, classified Grand Cru, and from Tauxières, classified Premier Cru, all located on the Grande Montagne de Reims; fruit from Vertus, classified Premier Cru, on the Côte des Blancs; and fruit from Trigny, on the Massif de Saint-Thierry.
This split between two sides of Champagne — one turned towards the Pinot Noir of the Montagne de Reims, the other towards the Chardonnay of the Côte des Blancs — brings together terroirs with distinct exposures, each contributing its own balance of power and freshness.
On these terroirs, Pinot Noir lends the wine its structure and depth, while Chardonnay develops a lively tension that balances the whole.
Winemaking
Emilien Erard, Charles Heidsieck's cellar master, chose to vinify this blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay entirely in stainless steel tanks, a vessel that preserves the purity of the fruit without adding any woody notes. Malolactic fermentation was carried through in full: it softens the wine's acidity and lends it a velvety mouthfeel. The dosage, set at 8 g/L, places this Millésime 2018 in the Brut category, a level that gives full rein to the freshness of the fruit while offering just a hint of discreet roundness. The blend itself marries the structure of Pinot Noir, in the majority at 55%, with the finesse of Chardonnay, for a palate that is both expansive and precise, carried by delicate aromas that bear witness to the care taken at every stage of winemaking at Charles Heidsieck.
The 2018 Vintage
The year 2018 began with a stormy spring and heavy rainfall across Champagne, before a hot, dry summer settled in for good. This shift in weather allowed the vines to thrive: ripeness came quickly, on healthy grapes barely touched by rot, in excellent sanitary conditions. Generous yields allowed the House to rebuild its reserves after the more modest 2017 harvest. This vintage gave rise to honest wines, with great freshness and vibrant fruit character, qualities found throughout the elegance of this 2018 cuvée.
