In the summer of 1976, an unprecedented heatwave dried out the vineyards of Champagne. However, thanks to their know-how and creativity, inspired men succeeded in transforming and purifying Mother Nature's whims, giving birth to a cuvée of extreme purity, named Rare, in homage to the events that brought it about.
Rare 2006 is a solar vintage, at once oriental and fresh, mature and warm, profound and immediately perceptible. Its mineral and gourmet tension give the wine remarkable expressive potential.
Rare 2006 is a champagne made with 70% Chardonnay and 30% Pinot Noir, exclusively from Grands Crus and Premiers Crus.
Bottles are aged on the lees for a minimum of 7 years to enhance and develop the wine's aromatic bouquet. This champagne is dosed Brut, at 9.5 g/L.
To the eye, Rare 2006 bears witness to sustained sunshine, with an iridescent yellow-green gold color and sparkling, harmonious, dynamic bubbles.
The nose calls for gourmandise, with an enveloping, honeyed, oriental style. Its intensity demonstrates a fine maturity and a generous year. Then, very expressive aromas of crunchy mango, tropical fruit, white chocolate, cocoa, coffee, quince paste and sweet spices give this champagne great complexity and a racy youthfulness. The presence of jasmine tea, so typical of the Rare style, paves the way for a beautiful minerality that gradually reveals itself.
On the palate, the exceptional length immediately impresses. The effervescence is soft, and hints of mocha, cappuccino and cocoa support the chiseled minerality of this Rare 2006. The palate is then filled with notes of dried apricots, sweet spices, vanilla, quince paste, citron and lime. As it warms in the glass, Rare Millésime 2006 exudes accents of crisp honey pastry and Espelette pepper. This aromatic depth underlines the wine's taut freshness and indicates its magnificent longevity.
Rare Millésime 2006, from Piper-Heidsieck, is a champagne reserved for exceptional moments and gastronomic meals, such as red mullet with cuttlefish ink; sweetbread tempura with truffles; parsnip mousseline with horseradish; pan-fried scallops with sesame oil; Thai-style prawns or caviar.
