Charles Heidsieck, Blanc des Millénaires Brut 2014 (12%)
The 2014 vintage was mixed in Champagne – a cool, wet July lingered into an indifferent August – and some areas (notably the Marne valley) struggled as they coped with twice the normal rainfall total. It soon became apparent, though, that the Côtes des Blancs was a winner in 2014, and time has only amplified the merits of this coolish but ultra-classical year for blanc de blancs from well-sited vineyards. Here’s a great example. Fine-beaded, with a sumptuous aroma of cream, flowers, nuts and orchard fruits – it’s stealthy as yet, though, and further cellar time will amplify the charm. On the palate, there is crystalline focus and balance. The structure is impressive for a blanc de blancs, too. Stylish and assured Champagne.
Southern France lays claim to the family roots of Charles Heidsieck’s 2023-appointed chef de cave Elise Losfelt, although she was actually born and raised in Paris, ‘so not far from the region of Champagne’, she reflects. ‘I come from a family of winemakers. My mother and grandmother were both winemakers; wine is a family history.’
Losfelt’s CV is impressively loaded, having worked alongside cellar masters at Dom Pérignon, Mercier, Moët & Chandon and Ruinart. Charles Heidsieck’s Blanc des Millénaires made its first bow in 1983 (the 2014 vintage representing just the eighth release). ‘It is always an encounter between a harvest and the cellar master, made exclusively from the finest Chardonnays from the Côte des Blancs in a single vintage,’ says Losfelt. ‘The whole Champagne process needs care and attention. Every detail counts. Perfection lies within the smallest details, and with the 2014, I wanted to respect as much as possible the wine that had been blended by my predecessors. When I first tasted it, it showed me the greatness that prestige Champagnes are made of; my role was to reveal the soul of this elegant masterpiece.’