Champagne Piper-Heidsieck / Rare

Rare Millésime 2008

RARE CHAMPAGNE was born from an exceptional event, a Millésime of incomparable purity. When a tremendous wave of heat and drought hit France in 1976, drying out the vineyards of the entire Champagne region, oenologists and Chef de Cave of the Maison Piper-Heidsieck did not discourage and studied how to obtain an exceptional product from this unconventional weather event. Thanks to their expertise, they created a Cuvée de Prestige of exquisite purity. It was called “RARE”, as a tribute to the exceptional conditions from which it was born. Since then, only in the best vintages does nature reveal the right conditions to make RARE CHAMPAGNE and only from the harvest of those precise vintages can the precious RARE CHAMPAGNE Millésime be born.

So far there have been only eleven “RARE Champagne vintages”: 1976, 1979, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2008. The Chef de Cave, Régis Camus, has been taking care of the RARE CHAMPAGNE style for years, selecting the vineyards according to their expression rather than their Premier and Grand Cru classification. Each blend always contributes to the complex, distinct and at the same time pure style of the RARE CHAMPAGNE. Perfection makes no compromises to produce a wine of extraordinary depth and harmony, as bright and intense as a golden diamond, perfect for crowning the most important occasions for the most demanding and sophisticated client.

It is a blending of the best grapes: Chardonnay (70%) from the vineyards located in Avize, Vertus, Villers-Marmery and Pinot Noir (30%) from Ambonnay and Aÿ. Ageing lasts for over 9 years on yeasts for this Champagne of great structure and power with an ageing potential of over 20 years.