Piper-HeidsieckRare1998Magnum

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 added 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 Rare is a truly unique prestige cuvée. In the summer of 1976, an unprecedented heatwave struck France, the likes of which the Champagne region had never experienced before. Piper-Heidsieck’s winemaking team began to wonder: could it be possible to create a cuvée given the remarkable conditions? Taming the natural forces was no easy task and when assemblage was complete and the final blend bottled, the team were so proud of the final product, they called it Rare. The brand started as Piper-Heidsieck Rare and in 2019 this became simply Rare. These cuvées are only produced in these exceptional years: 1976, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2007 & 2008. In 2018 a new rose cuvee was released with 2007, now followed with 2008 and 2012.rrWeather:The 1998 vintage shows all the hallmarks of a truly outstanding year. The features of the vintage were a high natural sugar content in the grapes and an excellent level of acidity, indicating an exceptional overall balance and long ageing potential.rrWine Competition Trophies:rThe Champagne and Sparkling Wine World Championships 2018 â€?World Champion Library VintagerrTechnical Information:rVineyards: 100% Grand Cru | Chardonnay: Avize, Chouilly, Oger, Trépail, Villers-Marmery | Pinot Noir: Ambonnay, Ludes, VerzyrGrape Varieties: 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot NoirrAgeing: 17 years on the leesrDosage: 9.5 g/lrDrink: Now to 2035rrTasting Note: A golden colour with a slight hint of green. The nose has an elegant touch of sandalwood and cedar with a bouquet of gingerbread and dried apricot. On the palate, intial citrus and orange flavours give way to a complex mid-palate of mango, cocoa and plums. Overall, this is a rich and well-balanced champagne. Given age, especially in magnum, this will be very rewarding.