Piper-Heidsieck2012

Piper-Heidsieck’s roots trace back to Florens-Louis Heidsieck, who created the original company of Heidsieck & Co. Christian Heidsieck joined the venture alongside Guillaume Piper and once Florens-Louis died in 1828, the duo decided to continue the adventure side by side, founding Champagne Piper-Heidsieck.rrIn 2011 both Charles Heidsieck and Piper-Heidsieck were bought by EPI Group headed by Christopher Descours, he has pumped significant finance into the companies allowing them to grow their vineyard holdings, grape purchasing and production. The brands are now growing their sales fast after many decades of decline. Today, production occurs alongside sister company Charles Heidsieck in an ultra-modern functional wine-making facility on the southern outskirts of Reims. Their characteristics differ quite considerably, with Piper opting for a fruitier and lighter style of base wines.rrPiper-Heidsieck Vintage is not a predefined recipe, each vintage and each blend is unique.The blends are selected fromupwards of 18different Premier and Grand Crus. Pinot Noir from the Montagne de Reims give the structure and the Chardonnay from la Côte des Blancs and the Montagne de Reims expresses the elegance and charm of the vintage. rrWeather: The 2012 weather has been hallmarked by many as very challenging but has created some stunning Champagne. Relatively low yields due to various weather conditions throughout the year. The winter months brought some frosts and hail which damaged the early stages of bud burst. August and September were very warm and this helped rescue and give the grapes a stunning maturity. rrTechnical Information:rVineyards: Grand Cru, Premier Cru | Chardonnay: Côte des Blancs, Montagne de Reims | Pinot Noir: Montagne de ReimsrGrape Varieties: 48% Chardonnay, 52% Pinot NoirrLees Ageing: 6 yearsrDisgorged: Jan 2019rDosage: 10 g/lrCork: Mytik Diam TechnologicalrDrink: Now to 2035rrTasting Note: Fresh citrus notes of lime and tangerine leaves combine with warm smoked notes on the nose. The palate has almonds, smoked tea and freshly harvested honey the juice of ripe black cherry and blueberries. The finish is long and silky.