Composed of 70% Pinot Noir and 30% Chardonnay, sourced from eleven Grands and Premiers Crus. To colour the wine pink, 9% of the blend was red wine, half of it from the Montagne de Reims, namely Ambonnay, Bouzy and Aÿ, and half from les Riceys in the Côte des Bar. Since the 2008 Rosé Millésimé is “almost the same base” as the Charles Heidsieck white vintage wine from 2008, it is that red portion that gives much of the character to this wine.

Cellar Master Cyril Brun explained that the Piinot Noirs from the Montagne de Reims and Les Riceys had very “complementary profiles. In the north you get a more severe profile of phenolics and something rounder, softer, smoother from the south. Combining these two you get something that is super-attractive, you capture the best of both.”

Speaking about the vintage itself, Brun noted: “When we think about 2008, we are close to perfection.” He said all the wines from the vintage had a “marathon profile” due to their ageing ability and termed this Champagne a “marathon wine.” The wine spent ten years on lees and was disgorged with 7g/l of dosage – the first time for Charles Heidsieck to go so low. Cyril Brun called it a “mini-revolution.”

Champagne Charles Heidsieck Rosé Millésimé 2008, 12%

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