Champagne is one of my favourite things in the world. Whilst sales of it always surge over the Christmas period, for me it is more than a celebration drink. When I can, I drink it all the time and am put off only by the rather tedious requirement to stay moderately sober for my day job. That being said, there is something undeniably lovely about sipping something sparking, dry and slender stemmed over the holiday period. It matches fabulously with smoked salmon or turkey and with careful selection, you can even find types to pair with Christmas pudding.
Recently I was invited down to a Christmas tasting by Charles Heidsieck champagne house. Founded in 1851, this was the chosen champagne of European royalty and was awarded a royal warrant by King Edward VII in 1897. Whilst it is a smaller house (especially in England) than some of the other well-known names, it has seen immense success; winning ‘Sparkling Winemaker of the Year’ thirteen times and numerous awards for individual champagnes. Needless to say, it was an invitation I was quick to accept.
We began with their Brut Reserve NV which is their most famous wine; representing around 80% of sales. It is made from a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier grapes of which 40% (the maximum allowed proportion) are reserve wines aged for an average of 10 years. This is then aged for 3 years (way above the minimum requirement of 15 months), creating a base that is complex and mature. The final product is pale gold and creamy with an initial hit of citrus and apricot, mellowing into almond and biscuit (dare I say, croissant). It dances on the palate in swirls of fine bubbles and pairs fabulously well with turkey. I’m not the only one who likes it; this year it was named ‘the world’s no.1 non-vintage champagne’ by Fine Champagne Magazine. At around £40 per bottle, as champagne goes it isn’t terribly expensive, especially given the quality and complexity of drink you’re getting.
Next we moved to their Rose Reserve NV. I’m not normally one for rose champagnes; I love the dryness of brut and extra brut and will always preference creamy biscuit notes above berry. This is one of the nicer ones I have tried though. Again, it is a blend of pinot noir (5-6% of which is vinified as red wine), chardonnay and pinot meunier. It’s a delicate pink rose in colour with a slightly cream undertone. It smells of strawberry and peach and drinks like red fruit and gingerbread. This retails at more like £43.50. 
Finally, we broke open the Brut Millesime 2005. This special 2005 vintage has been made from 11 crus (vineyards) and blends 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay. The wine has been fermented twice and then aged for 8 years, followed by dosage (the adding of sugar) and a further 6 months of aging. The final product is golden amber, smelling of praline, hazelnut and caramel. It drinks beautifully generously; it is full bodied, warm and with rich notes of dates and figs.
Finally, we broke open the Brut Millesime 2005. This special 2005 vintage has been made from 11 crus (vineyards) and blends 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay. The wine has been fermented twice and then aged for 8 years, followed by dosage (the adding of sugar) and a further 6 months of aging. The final product is golden amber, smelling of praline, hazelnut and caramel. It drinks beautifully generously; it is full bodied, warm and with rich notes of dates and figs.
This was a wonderful drink and can be paired with something a bit bolshie like Christmas pudding with brandy butter, or Christmas cake! At £70 it is towards the ‘finer’ end of the Charles Heidsieck range.
So finished an interesting and delicious tasting. The UK champagne mainstream market is somewhat dominated by a few key players and it was great to be introduced to products by a smaller house like Charles Heidsieck, especially one so celebrated. I’ll be looking out for it and I recommend you give it a try too; especially their Brut Reserve NV. In the meantime, I wish you all a happy sampling and merry Christmas!
Charles Hiedsieck can be bought online at most major UK online wine retailers.
This brunch looks SO good, it's been on my wish list for ages, and every time I see pics of any of the food there it makes me want to go even more!